Seventeen
by lady bundtcake
Summary: A moderately fluffy Seiya and Usagi story. Usagi's seventeenth birthday may be destined to bring about some very interesting changes. Look who's come back to visit her! (Seemingly eternal WIP) Chapter 8 has arrived!
1. Preparations

SEVENTEEN  
  
(c) rikki-chan (lady bundtcake) 2004  
  
CHAPTER ONE - PREPARATIONS  
  
===  
  
"Minako-chan, I don't often say this, especially not to you, but I've got to hand it to you. You're a regular genius."  
  
The senshi of Venus looked up from a tangled pile of crepe paper streamers and gilded wrapping paper. She flashed her friend a huge, toothy grin. "Thanks, Rei-chan."  
  
"Here, I brought some cookies," Makoto said, emerging from the kitchen. She set the laden plate down on the coffee table and popped one into her mouth. "We've got chocolate chip and peanut butter, and a few oatmeal. I was kind of low on ingredients, so I just made all different kinds."  
  
"They smell wonderful, Mako-chan," Ami said, inhaling the warm fragrance. She picked up a peanut butter cookie and began to eat it delicately, while attempting to wrap a large present with her spare hand. "It really is an incredible idea you had, Minako-chan," she said to the blonde girl.  
  
"Oh, are we talking about the big secret?" Makoto said, grinning happily. "I'm just amazed you managed to pull this off. In fact, what's even MORE amazing is that THEY agreed to host the whole thing!"  
  
"Especially when you consider who else is invited," Ami added, placing the final pieces of tape on her wrapped gift.  
  
"Of course, we all know why Minako-chan made up the guest list," Rei smirked. "So she could hang all over THEM."  
  
The girls all laughed, but Minako just tilted her head up with a look of mock indignation. "Rei-chan, I would never stoop to such levels as that!"  
  
"Oh, sure you wouldn't!"  
  
"Anyway," Minako continued, flipping a long blonde lock over her shoulders. "It took some definite persuading, but they finally agreed to host it, even if it meant housing the guests of honor for the week. After all, you know they would do anything for Usagi-chan."  
  
"Especially Haruka-san," Ami added.  
  
Minako grinned. "Yeah, Haruka-san would do anything for her little kitten, wouldn't she? And once Haruka-san agrees to something, you know Michiru-san won't hesitate to follow suit. Setsuna-san is always willing to oblige if it's for the future Moon Queen, and Hotaru-chan just loves Usagi-chan. And as for pulling it all together and getting the guys to come along, too…"  
  
"Oh, please, allow us!" Rei interrupted.  
  
"Never underestimate the network of Aino Minako!" the three girls chirped before collapsing in a fit of giggles.  
  
Minako put on a pained expression. "You guys are so cruel."  
  
===  
  
Haruka was supposed to be vacuuming, but Haruka hated vacuuming. Plus, she knew that if she vacuumed now, Michiru would only find something else for her to do, like cleaning out the rain gutters or sweeping the drive. And Haruka hated doing that, too.  
  
She wanted to be out in the garage, tinkering with her car, but it would be entirely too easy for Michiru to know what she was up to and go looking for her. So she had taken refuge in little Hotaru's bedroom, whispering to the tiny soldier of silence that she must live up to her title and not breathe a word about the location of her papa.   
  
Hotaru had only been too happy to oblige, particularly after Haruka-papa had offered her a cookie (Michiru-mama didn't believe in snacks between meals), and now the younger girl had ventured downstairs to do her homework at the kitchen table. Haruka, on the other hand, was holed up in the small bedroom, occupied with Hotaru's PlayStation.   
  
Downstairs, Michiru was busy dusting the woodwork while Setsuna had put up the ironing board and was starching the living room drapes. Hotaru sat in the breakfast nook, her feet swinging from her chair as she pored over her math assignment. She wanted to get it all done before the big event; Usagi's seventeenth birthday party was in a week, but Michiru-mama had told her that the guests were coming to stay tomorrow, and would be there until the party.   
  
Setsuna turned the heavy curtain over on her board and fluffed it, smoothing out the wrinkles. "I should really add a lace trim to these someday. They would look much nicer."  
  
Michiru looked up from the cabinet she was dusting and pushed a sweaty lock of hair out of her face. She smiled. "I think they look really nice as they are. You did such a fantastic job on them. Now that we've had this past year to live normal lives without the pressures of being senshi, I always thought you would pursue designing more."  
  
Setsuna blushed. "They really aren't anything much. I can sew much better now. And I have been pursuing it, but I've also been keeping up with work at the lab." She laughed a little. "Honestly, normal life is so busy that I can barely remember how we used to manage, balancing our supposedly 'normal' lives and being soldiers for the galaxy."  
  
"I like it. I've got more time to spend with my friends, and Haruka-papa likes being able to work on the car and play video games," Hotaru chimed in, glancing up from her homework. She immediately realized she almost gave away her papa's position, and her cheeks went red as she quickly bent back over her homework.  
  
Michiru narrowed her eyes and looked at Hotaru suspiciously. "Speaking of your darling papa, where is she? I told her I needed her to vacuum this floor, since Setsuna-san and I were both busy with other chores."  
  
"She's…she's…maybe Haruka-papa is in the garage?" Hotaru stammered.  
  
"Too obvious. She would know I would find her," Michiru said.  
  
"If I know Haruka-san, she's probably doing exactly the opposite of what you asked her," Setsuna said wisely, sprinkling starch on a drape panel.  
  
"I think I have an idea," Michiru said, a hint of a smile on her lips.  
  
Haruka was playing a racing game, and was beating the pants off the computer. She was feeling pretty smug about this, thinking that if even a computer couldn't beat her, she really must be a champion racer. She was just about to upgrade her car again (she wanted one with a yellow paint job this time) when her keen ears picked up the sound of the doorknob rattling.  
  
Throwing caution to the wind, the sky senshi flung out her arm to turn the television off and dived beneath Hotaru's little bed. She neglected to pay attention to the fact that her daughter's bed was considerably shorter than she was, and so didn't notice several inches of her muscular legs hanging out the bottom of the bed.  
  
Michiru entered the room and flicked on the light switch, and at once a dozen luminescent lamps lit up the room with a gentle, purple glow. She immediately saw Haruka's legs and feet poking out from beneath Hotaru's small bed, but decided to torment her dear lover for just a few minutes. Behind her, Hotaru was peeping around her mama's skirts.  
  
"Well," Michiru said loudly, "I don't suppose she's in here." She made a gesture of putting her finger to her lips to indicate to Hotaru not to mention Haruka's feet. Hotaru suppressed a giggle. Michiru wheeled the vacuum cleaner into the room. "Since your papa won't help, I guess I'll have to do this room all by myself."  
  
Haruka flinched. Nobody could guilt trip like Michiru.  
  
Michiru plugged the vacuum in and turned it on. She hummed a little above the dull roar of the cleaner, whisking it across the floor over to Hotaru's bed, where she lifted up the sheets in order to vacuum beneath it. The vacuum came into contact with Haruka's t-shirt and made a horrible choking noise.  
  
Michiru gave the vacuum cleaner a mighty yank and pulled both the vacuum cleaner and a half-strangled Haruka out from under the bed. She turned off the switch, and the vacuum made a gurgling sound and quickly died. "Well, well," she said softly, bending down. "What have we here?"  
  
Haruka gave a small gasp as she twisted the remains of her shirt out of the vacuum cleaner's grasp. "Not funny," she wheezed.  
  
"Not nearly as unfunny as your attitude. Haruka, we're having people stay with us. The least you could do is lift a lazy finger and help."  
  
Haruka looked grumpy. "I don't want them staying here."  
  
"Haruka, you were the one who agreed to this in the first place," Michiru said with mild surprised. "I'll admit, it was a bit unexpected coming from you, but I think it will be really good for us all and especially Usagi-chan. You know she's missed them. Him."  
  
"That's what bothers me," Haruka glowered. "Michiru, do you really think she SHOULD be missing him? She has a life. She has a lover. She has a whole destiny planned out, for crying out loud. And after all we've done for her, all the preservation of that destiny, why should we go out of our way to help screw all that up?"  
  
"Haruka, I said she missed him, not that she wants to run away and have his children!" Michiru exclaimed. Her face softened and her eyes grew warm. "And anyway, destiny has a funny way of becoming remarkably unimportant when it comes to things like friendships…and love."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Well, when I met you, for example," Michiru said, running her fingers through Haruka's sandy hair. "I thought I could never have you. I thought my destiny was something else, a destiny to protect and serve a princess. I never imagined I could do that and love you at the same time. But destiny bent a little for me, and allowed me to experience the most important person in my life."  
  
Haruka relaxed momentarily beneath Michiru's gentle caresses, but then her brow knitted. "But Michiru, we already know the outcome of this. It's not an open book; the future is already set."  
  
"Maybe it is. But we don't necessarily know what is to happen between now and the future," Michiru pointed out. "And anyway, this is Usagi-chan we're talking about. She's always been a bit of a challenge as far as destiny is concerned. How many times have we felt in our heart of hearts that we she was doing was wrong, but in the end it turned out to be the best solution of all?"  
  
"Maybe you're right," Haruka sighed, leaning forward to nuzzle Michiru's neck. "I think I know what the best solution right now would be," she whispered, nibbling on Michiru's soft earlobe.  
  
"Not a chance," Michiru laughed, pushing her lover away. "You already owe it to me to vacuum downstairs. And you should probably change your shirt and throw that one into the wash. Don't forget we're going grocery shopping this afternoon to get things for this week, while they're here. And for heaven's sake, clean up the extra bathroom. I'm sure the last thing anyone wants to see is a pile of your dirty socks." 


	2. Guests of Honor

SEVENTEEN  
  
(c) rikki-chan (lady bundtcake) 2004  
  
CHAPTER TWO - GUESTS OF HONOR  
  
===  
  
"I don't know where the hell we are. I give up!" Yaten Kou brushed a silvered lock of hair behind his ear and crumpled the map in his hands. "We're never going to find that house. You would think after light years' worth of galactic travel, we could find one stupid house, but NO! Haruka-tachi just HAS to live out in the middle of nowhere!" He flung the twisted remains of his map on the ground.  
  
Taiki bent down and picked up the map, painstakingly unfolding it and refolding it into a neat little packet. "Just be patient. We're heading in the right direction, at least."  
  
Behind them, Seiya Kou gave a sharp laugh and said, "Are you sure, Taiki? With Yaten navigating, I'm surprised he hasn't led us straight off a cliff."  
  
"Believe me, the first cliff I find, I'd be more than happy to chuck you over it," Yaten growled.   
  
"Settle down, children," Taiki admonished, pulling a small object from his coat pocket and flipping it open. "I bought this in that shop back a ways. It's a compass, a special device designed to point towards this planet's magnetic north. Now, we know Haruka-tachi's home is due east of the city, and we are currently heading just south of east. If we cross a few blocks over, that should put us directly back on track and at least get us into a more populated neighborhood. We'll find someone and ask for more specific directions."  
  
"A few blocks over?" Yaten whined. "Look, Taiki, I'm exhausted. Don't you have any quicker solutions for the weary?"  
  
"Well, we could always paint Taiki's forehead white and use it as a beacon," Seiya suggested.  
  
Yaten snorted and Taiki gave Seiya a withering look. "Har har. For the last time, my forehead isn't any larger than yours."  
  
"Nah, you're right. It's just your hairline that's receded."  
  
Taiki was ignoring his friend and unfolding the map once more to take another look. Meanwhile, Yaten sighed and leaned against a telephone pole.  
  
"We are going to be stuck out here all night," Yaten muttered, casting his olive eyes heavenward with a look of total depression.  
  
Seiya just shrugged. "Calm down. We won't get stuck. Actually, they aren't even expecting us until tomorrow evening; we just got here too early. We may as well shack up in a hotel for the night." He thrust his hands deep into his pockets and assumed his characteristic bored stance. "It's probably a good thing. At least it's prolonging the inevitable beating I'm going to receive from Haruka for treading on her planet," he smirked.   
  
Yaten snorted. "As though you're not at all excited about this whole party thing, Seiya."  
  
Taiki coughed what sounded suspiciously like a laugh into his hand as Yaten snorted even harder and rolled his eyes for added emphasis. "Please, Seiya," he continued. "We all know how excited you are to see your little Odango again."  
  
Seiya didn't respond, but couldn't help the color rushing to his cheeks or the corners of his lips quirking up in a grin. "Don't tease him, Yaten," Taiki admonished, his eyes still laughing as he returned to studying the map.   
  
"Oh, come on, Taiki," Yaten started, flicking his ponytail back. "Why else would Seiya return to this planet as a boy, if it weren't to pour on the charm for Usagi-chan?"  
  
"Well, while we're on THAT subject," Seiya interrupted, his blue eyes glinting with mirth, "Why did you and Taiki decide to come back here as boys, too? Especially after how last time, you did nothing but complain about how AWFUL it was."  
  
Taiki coughed and blushed slightly. "Well, I thought Ami-chan would prefer to have selections from the poetry anthologies I brought along read to her by a man, instead of a woman," he said, indicating his suitcase.  
  
"Uh-huh. And you, Yaten? I bet you have a certain blonde on your mind," Seiya gloated.  
  
"Blonde? Me?" Yaten huffed. "If you're referring to that scatterbrained, airheaded Aino Minako, I can inform you right here and now that I have positively ZERO interest, thank you very much."  
  
"Is that why you so eagerly pounced on her invitation here, then?" pressed Seiya.  
  
The silver-haired boy narrowed his green eyes with a look of total malice. "I accepted the invitation for Usagi-chan, since this IS for her birthday, and she IS a pretty important person to the galaxy. I felt it was my duty," he explained, nose in the air. "Had Minako-chan contacted you first, I'm sure you would have accepted solely on the grounds that you haven't stopped thinking about your long lost love since we left this planet last year. As you can see, my intentions are much nobler than your vague notions of puppy love, Seiya."  
  
"You know, Yaten," Taiki mused, glancing up from the map, "I always felt there was a bit of chemistry between you and Minako-chan."  
  
"Well, if I were interested in Minako, which I clearly am NOT, at least I would take her on interesting dates. Which is more than I can say for you and Ami, for whom the height of entertainment is probably an evening at home reading up on mathematical theory!"  
  
"So you've considered taking her on a date?" Taiki asked.  
  
"Look, don't put words in my mouth!"  
  
The two continued to argue, with Taiki quietly baiting and Yaten pouncing furiously on the insinuations, but Seiya was no longer listening. His thoughts had drifted to a blonde of his own liking, a different sort of blonde than the perky Aino Minako. The woman in his mind had deep golden hair, wound up neatly into two glorious streaming ponytails, with softly curled bangs that perfectly framed her adorable face. A pair of lovely, sky-blue eyes that sparkled when she laughed and glared playfully but pointedly when he teased her. That beautiful, heavenly skin, pale and luscious as the moonlight…  
  
It had been a year since he'd last laid eyes on this beautiful woman, but not a day had passed in which some memory of her popped into his mind. Seiya had thought, upon returning to Kinmoku, that it had just been an infatuation and without her nearby, the feelings would swiftly fade. After all, he had told himself, the love he had felt for Usagi had been something like the love he felt for his princess Kakyuu. It was the love any soldier felt for what he was dear to him, dear enough to be worth sacrificing himself to protect.  
  
He was so convinced the feelings for Usagi would fade away, and he would return to his duty of loving and serving only Kakyuu.  
  
But it didn't work out that way. And it wasn't as though he didn't try, Seiya thought. Upon returning to Kinmoku, he had left behind his Earthen identity of Seiya Kou and returned to who he truly was…Sailor Star Fighter. Seiya thought that perhaps his feelings for Usagi had been amplified by the male body he'd inhabited for so long on her planet; perhaps as Fighter, in the body of a woman, those feelings would subside.  
  
And yet they didn't. For the first few months home, Fighter slept restlessly and ate less and less. Kakyuu became desperately worried about her; she had directly stated it to Maker or Healer, but everyone knew she had a soft spot for her dear Fighter. She urged Fighter to stay with her, in her palace, and the distraught senshi agreed, hoping her princess could soothe her mind.  
  
Kakyuu had always spoiled her a bit, but she became even more doting upon Fighter. She had the best of meals prepared for her head senshi, and insisted Fighter not overwork herself and spend as much time resting as she needed. Instead of recuperating, Fighter grew restless. She already felt a part of her had died; the last thing she wanted was to be treated like a withering invalid.  
  
One night, the pair had rested together in Kakyuu's splendid drawing room. For so many years, it had been Fighter who would hold Kakyuu in her arms, possessive and protective of the only woman who had ever been truly important to her (not counting her fellow senshi). But on that night, it was Kakyuu who sat strongly upright and drew Fighter into her arms, pressing the worn soldier against her breast and stroking her ebony hair softly to ease her companion into sleep.  
  
Fighter felt frustrated at being so babied, but at the same time she was soothed by the gentle warmth her lovely princess always radiated. She was too tired and too apathetic to push away, and so she relaxed wearily in Kakyuu's arms.  
  
Kakyuu ran her soft fingertips across Fighter's back. The skin was drawn and taut from so many weeks of Fighter denying herself food and sleep. "Fighter," she said softly. "What is it?"  
  
Fighter shrugged on impulse, then thought better of it and decided to be as vague as possible. "I'm not well."  
  
Kakyuu smiled, though Fighter couldn't see it. "It's very obvious. But you aren't sick. We can't find anything wrong with you, aside from the fact that you refuse to live. What is it?"  
  
Fighter clutched the folds of Kakyuu's skirt, and then relaxed her fists. "It's…it's nothing, Princess. I'm sorry this has worried you."  
  
"I am worried, for your sake," Kakyuu sighed. "Fighter…I don't want to lose you. Would you ever leave me?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Would you leave me for her?"  
  
Fighter's heart jumped into her throat. She pushed herself away from the princess and gazed into her garnet eyes. "What…" she choked out, her throat dry. "What do you mean?"  
  
The red-haired woman smiled the saddest smile Fighter had ever seen. "I never thought this would happen. I never really thought…I never thought you would fall in love," she said softly, nervously smoothing her skirt with her hands.  
  
"Never thought I'd fall in love?" Fighter asked.  
  
"With someone who wasn't me." Kakyuu gazed sorrowfully at her beloved senshi, though her lips were smiling faintly. "But Fighter, you can't go on like this. I would rather be left here alone than watch you suffer because you're afraid to leave me."  
  
The senshi's mouth dropped open, and she felt herself grow hot with shame. "Kakyuu…I…I can't leave you," she stammered. "What if I left here to pursue my own dreams, and then you fell into what I feel now? I couldn't do that to you. I don't want you to feel that kind of pain."  
  
"Fighter," the princess began. "We have loved each other for so long, since I became the princess and you my guardian. You know I care about you, and I know you care for me." Her gaze grew suddenly determined. "But I would never want you to sacrifice your deepest desire because you felt it interfered with duty, Fighter. I care about you too much to take away what's important to you."  
  
The dark-haired senshi felt her eyes began to swim with tears, and she shakily reached forward and pulled Kakyuu into a tight embrace. She kissed her on her fair-skinned forehead, letting a few tiny tears deck the princess' deep red hair, and rested her chin on her head. Fighter stroked the princess' back through the soft folds of her dress.   
  
"It doesn't matter, Kakyuu," she heard herself saying, rocking her princess back and forth as though she were a small child. "She can never love me back, not even if she wanted to. It doesn't matter." Fighter smiled into Kakyuu's hair.  
  
"I promise, I will never leave you."  
  
Time had worn on, and Fighter was determined not to spend any more of it wasting away. She had her whole life ahead of her for love and heartbreak, she reflected ruefully, and besides that there was much to do on Kinmoku. They had a whole world to rebuild, and Fighter had spent too much time lamenting the loss of a world in which she could never truly belong. She instead focused on the tasks before her and soon returned to her old, joking self, much to Maker and Healer's relief. The three, along with Kakyuu, began to grow closer than ever as they created a new world even more beautiful than the Kinmoku of old.  
  
But despite all this, Fighter never forgot her.  
  
The one woman who had made a permanent place in her heart.  
  
Odango…  
  
Months later, when Fighter and Maker had been engaged in a game of checkers (Fighter was losing horribly), Healer had sauntered nonchalantly out on the patio where they were playing.   
  
"Bad news?" Maker queried, taking in the sour look on Healer's otherwise pretty face.  
  
"I doubt it. She's probably just been scowling so long that her face has finally stuck that way. I always knew that would happen," Fighter said, grinning. "Check."  
  
Maker frowned. "That move isn't even legal."  
  
"Well, it was worth a shot," Fighter sighed, moving back her piece.  
  
"They want us to come visit," Healer drawled, as though the news was the most inconvenient thing in the world.  
  
"Who wants us to visit where?" Maker asked.   
  
"Them. Those girls. Minako-chan told me it's an Earth month until Usagi-chan's birthday, and we're all invited to attend," Healer replied, playing with a strand of her shiny hair. "They could have at LEAST given us more notice than that. Don't they know we're busy out here?"  
  
"It's your move, Fighter," said Maker, looking at her partner.  
  
But Fighter seemed momentarily frozen, her hand still resting on her bishop piece. "Odan—Usagi-chan wants us to visit?" she asked, and realized her voice was trembling.  
  
Healer seemed not to notice this, and extracted a letter from her pocket, scanning it quickly. "No, Usagi doesn't even know we're invited. Minako-chan says it's going to be a huge event, we're invited for a whole week and every night we're going to do things together, so it's sort of a reunion and a birthday celebration all at once. Usagi's actual birthday party won't happen until the end of the week." Healer groaned and wadded up the letter again. "Great, a whole week of listening to those girls babble. Why was I made to suffer?"  
  
Maker shrugged lightly. "Well, we don't have to go," she said, ignoring Fighter's immediate look of indignation.  
  
"Ah, well," Healer began, "I already responded and said we would. You know, we might as well. It's been over a year already, and Usagi did do a lot for us."  
  
"Your move, Fighter."  
  
"Why is this celebration so…so long?" Fighter asked, ignoring Maker. "I mean, a whole week of a visit. That's a lot." Not that she minded, of course, and she tried to seem as nonchalant as possible when asking. Still, a whole week with Odango! Fighter could barely contain the impulse to jump out of the chair, sending the chess pieces flying as she did a dance of celebration across the patio.  
  
"Looks like Mamoru-san has checked out for some more summer classes," Healer explained. "He has to leave before her birthday, so Minako said Usagi would probably be very depressed and it would be a nice sort of a pick-me-up. After all, we were pretty close to her. Some more so than others," she hinted, and she and Maker cast similar looks at Fighter.  
  
But Fighter stopped listening after learning about Mamoru's definite absence. A week with Odango, AND no competition. Fighter really did let loose then, leaping out of her chair and taking off across the grounds. Maker and Healer stared, dumbfounded, as their friend dashed out of sight.  
  
"Think this is going to be a problem?" Maker asked, cocking an eyebrow with vague interest.  
  
"A problem? Usagi-chan stranded without her man, combined with Fighter's inflated ego and oh-so-forbidden secret love? Nah, no problem at all," Healer said. "But I am definitely taking my camera this time."  
  
"Hello? Earth to Seiya!" Yaten was yelling. "And that's ironic, since you're already ON Earth!"  
  
Seiya shook his head and let his glazed eyes refocus on his frustrated partner. "Sorry," he said, running his hand over the back of his neck. "Guess I kind of spaced out for a minute there."  
  
Yaten narrowed his eyes. "Man, you've got it BAD."  
  
"Huh? I've got WHAT bad?" Seiya asked.  
  
"The legendary Odango Fever, dear Seiya. Contracted mainly by young men with overly large foreheads," Yaten said ostentatiously.  
  
"Should run its course in about a week. In the meantime, we recommend hot soup and plenty of bed rest," Taiki chimed in. "But for right now, I'm going to recommend we give up trying to find Haruka-tachi's house and cry uncle. This is a completely futile search and it's getting late. Frankly, I'm ready for a nice long bath with my anthologized copy of Wordsworth."  
  
"I'm ready to stop lugging all these suitcases around," Yaten griped.   
  
Seiya said nothing, just pulled a small device out from his pocket. Flipping it open, he began to press a few buttons.  
  
"What is that?" Taiki asked, craning his head over Seiya's shoulder.  
  
"Well, while you thought it would be a stroke of pure genius to purchase a compass back in that last town, I went ahead and got something practical," Seiya said, completing his dial. "It's a cell phone. I figured I'd ring our old agent and talk him into getting us a room for the night." He put the phone to his ear.  
  
"Our old agent?" Yaten scoffed. "Seiya, the Three Lights broke up a year ago. Why the hell would our agent give a flip about a bunch of has-been pop stars coming back out of nowhere, let alone set us up at a hotel?"  
  
"Ah, Yaten," Seiya said, wagging a finger. "You underestimate the power of Earthen celebrity politics. They take their idols very, very seriously here! Besides, nothing screams intrigue and money like a band reunion. Hold on, I think someone's answering."  
  
Yaten and Taiki crowded around Seiya to listen in on the conversation. Seiya grinned widely as he heard his old agent's voice. "Guess who! No, I'm not kidding with you, it's really me. I mean, it's us; Yaten and Taiki are here too. Hey, we need a favor from you. We just got in town intending to meet up with some people, but we don't know the area real well and it's getting late. Anyway you could set us up for tonight?" Seiya paused to listen. "Great! I knew you'd help us. Oh, of course we'll do a reunion concert. Anything for you helping us out in our little pinch. All right, we'll be in touch. Bye."  
  
Seiya clicked the phone shut, and Yaten shook his head. "Sometimes, Seiya, you amaze me," he said rather solemnly.  
  
"I amaze myself every day," Seiya said cockily, grinning from ear to ear. "They're sending a car to pick us up. Not too much longer now."  
  
"Seiya," Taiki interrupted, very seriously. "What about this whole reunion concert? We don't really have anything prepared."  
  
"You leave that to your uncle Seiya!" the dark-haired man laughed. "Just so happens I have exactly what we need to impress all our old fans."  
  
And, he added privately, it wouldn't hurt if it winds up impressing Odango, too. 


	3. The Wish

SEVENTEEN  
  
(c) rikki-chan (lady bundtcake) 2004  
  
CHAPTER THREE - THE WISH  
  
Author's Note: Thanks very much to all the people who've already read my story. To assuage (or, perhaps, enhance!) your fears, this is intended to be a Seiya/Usagi oriented fanfiction. And no, it's not because I hate Mamoru (though I do think he's a jerk in the anime) -- I just find the Seiya/Usagi relationship really fascinating, and they're one of my favorite Sailor Moon couples. I plan on finishing this story fairly quickly; it's been resting in my brain for a while now, so I mostly just have to get it out in typing, but it shouldn't take too long until it's complete.  
  
Thanks for your words. :)  
  
===  
  
Usagi ran the brush through her long hair a final time and then sighed resolutely at her reflection, picked a few golden strands out of the brush. Her hair, which had always been long, was now easily long enough to sit on and still have some left to dangle over the chair's edge. The odango style had always been a personal preference before; now it was more or less impractical to go without them, as her hair was so abundant that it easily caught in car doors and tree branches if she didn't take some steps to tame it.  
  
She fluffed her bangs with her fingertips and paused to study her own facial features. "Looking old, birthday girl," she said quietly.  
  
She wasn't, of course. Usagi had known for some time now that she was destined to cease aging once she had reached adulthood, but now she was beginning to wonder if that had been misinformation on Setsuna's part. I still look fourteen, Usagi thought, a little glumly. People probably think Mamo-chan is my distant older cousin or something.  
  
Thinking of Mamoru made her insides do a funny dance, and out of habit she glanced at her phone, considering plucking it from the receiver and hitting the speed dial. But she had been with him only an hour ago, for an early birthday celebration, and even though he was leaving early tomorrow morning to study abroad once more, Usagi didn't want to pester him.   
  
She sighed, and picked again at her hairbrush. She so often felt she was nothing but a nuisance to him.  
  
The dinner had been quite nice. Mamoru had arrived to pick her up at seven o'clock on the dot; he was always disturbingly punctual, a trait Usagi lacked. She had still been up in her room, struggling with a strappy high-heeled shoe, when Shingo had burst through the door with an irritated expression on his face.  
  
"Your boyfriend's here," he said, before turning immediately to head back downstairs.  
  
"What? Already?" Usagi gasped, wobbling on one foot as she made a lunge for her clock radio. 7:00 PM blinked steadily on the display. Usagi cursed under her breath and slammed the clock back on her table. The sudden force caused her to lose her balance, and she toppled onto the floor, still clasping her difficult shoe in one hand and nearly twisting her ankle.  
  
"Should I tell him you're otherwise engaged with the carpet?" Shingo sneered, peering back through the doorframe.  
  
Usagi hurriedly sat up, looking and feeling extremely flustered. She blew her bangs out of her face as she hiked up her skirts and began to attach her shoe to her foot in an incredibly unladylike manner. "Just…just tell him I'll be down in a minute!" she said hysterically, trying desperately to thread the shoe's tiny strap through the tiny buckle.  
  
She finally got it on and somehow managed to get to her feet with no little difficulty. Dashing to her vanity, she gave her reflection a once-over, decided she didn't look TOO awful, quickly dabbed at her lipstick with a spare tissue, and dashed towards the door. She got there just as Mamoru peeped his head around the corner, and ran smack into his chest, causing her to collapse once more on the hard floor.  
  
Mamoru stared down at her and looked politely confused. Usagi laughed nervously.  
  
"You're early!" she gasped, struggling to stand back up.  
  
Mamoru checked his watch. "Am I? My watch says it's already after seven."  
  
"Oh, well," Usagi flattened her skirt the best she could. "Well, maybe you should get a new watch!" she finished lamely, clinging to his arm. "So, where are you taking me?"  
  
Dinner had been a typically pleasant affair, at a lovely new restaurant in town. Usagi took the opportunity to sample every dish she could ("I want to make sure this place is good enough to come back to!" she joked), and Mamoru, collected and mature as always, took small sips from his drink and looked content to be with his girlfriend. As the waiters brought out a slice of cake and sang for Usagi, he smiled warmly across the table at her.  
  
"Make a wish," Mamoru said, chin resting on his hand as he gazed at his girlfriend.  
  
Usagi hesitated, watching the candle flicker in the restaurant's dim lighting.  
  
Everything was so…perfect. In fact, it couldn't be more perfect. Across the table sat a mature, handsome man. Here she had four loving, wonderful friends who were also her personal bodyguards, and across town lived four more women sworn to protect her at any cost. Somewhere in the future, she had a spirited young daughter who mostly admired her. And to top it off, Usagi was the princess of the moon, destined to rule the solar system and bring it into a glorious age of peace and prosperity, as well as marry the prince of Earth and fulfill a legendary miracle romance.  
  
She was loved, protected, and adored.  
  
So why did she feel so discontent?  
  
The wax slid slowly down the candle, pooling a bit on the chocolate frosting. Usagi frowned slightly. She was having birthday cake, though it was still a week until her actual birthday, but Mamoru was leaving tomorrow so they had to celebrate it early. It had bothered her, that he wouldn't postpone his schooling one measly week to be with her on her special day, but she could sort of understand; birthdays could be celebrated any time, but class schedules waited for no man. Still, even the fact that he was leaving once again wasn't really the source of her restlessness.  
  
I'm restless, she thought, because everything is TOO perfect. And nothing is surprising anymore.  
  
It had been a year since the battle against Sailor Galaxia. For two years of her life, Tsukino Usagi had fought against countless enemies and lived through countless unforgettable experiences, never knowing what joys or horrors the next day would bring. And although she had complained incessantly about the duty and destiny that had been given to her…Usagi missed it. She missed not knowing what would happen that day, or that week, or what the next year would bring. She missed the excitement of the unexpected, all the funny twists and turns that happened in life.  
  
Now, nothing changed. Her life was a fairytale story to which she already knew the ending, and each passing day brought her one step closer to "happily ever after".  
  
What about "happy in the meantime"? Usagi thought.   
  
She guiltily reflected that she probably shouldn't be so selfish. Look at her best friends, the four sailor senshi of the inner solar system. Her own dear guardians. They had sacrificed so much for her to preserve that fairytale, and they had done it willingly. Usagi only knew bits and pieces of what they had given up, but she knew enough for it to haunt her and make her feel guilty for wishing her life were different. Rei had devoted her life to Usagi, and saved her countless times from enemies, despair, and even herself. Ami had spent innumerable hours researching and figuring out what to do next, when times were hard, and helped Usagi through her schoolwork at the same time. Makoto didn't even have a family to go home to, yet she willingly helped teach Usagi how to cook (after much trial and error) and never hesitated to help her with anything she could. Minako may have sacrificed more than any of them; the leader of the senshi had served as Usagi's decoy, put aside her dreams of being an idol or even something as mundane as being an athlete on a school team, and had been a senshi longer than any of them.  
  
But look at them now, Usagi thought. For them, their duty to me still exists, but their lives are open books. They can become whatever they want to become, because they got to make the choice, instead of some legendary twist of fate.  
  
Rei had remained at Hikawa Shrine, choosing to care for her aging grandfather. She felt it was her duty to him, after spending over two years as Sailor Mars and having to be away from him so much of the time. Rei continued to grow spiritually, and a lot of her sometimes ruthless tenacity had seeped out of her system with age; the fire senshi still sparked from time to time, but she was much less volatile. At seventeen, Rei had become a truly beautiful woman; her long raven locks and smoky eyes entranced all who met her. She was still Usagi's closest friend, although she still frequently became frustrated with her princess' antics.  
  
"I swear, you're only a few months younger than me, but it might as well be years!" Rei stormed from time to time. Then her look would soften and she would tell Usagi not to cry, she didn't mean it quite like that.  
  
Ami was working hard in high school, and medical schools had already taken an interest in her. She received countless scholarships for her stellar grades and good work ethic. She was also irritatingly humble about all of it.   
  
"Wow, Ami-chan!" Usagi had said one day at school, reading over yet another acceptance letter from an American university. "This is amazing!"  
  
Ami blushed. "It's not so much. Besides, anyone can achieve good grades if they try."  
  
"I doubt that," Minako said, leaning back in her chair. "I tried for years to make good grades, and it never once happened."  
  
"Yeah, but your idea of trying was waiting until the last possible moment to complete an assignment, and then attempting to sweet-talk the teachers into an extended deadline," Makoto said, wagging her finger at Minako. Minako made a face.  
  
"It really is incredible, though, Ami-chan," Usagi said. "You must be very proud!"  
  
"I'm just happy my studying paid off, really," Ami said modestly. Usagi, Makoto, and Minako all shook their heads and sighed.  
  
Makoto was head of the cooking club at school, and her dishes were so impressive that other students' mothers would come and ask her for recipes. Like Ami, Makoto had a tendency to be overly-humble about her abilities. When women complimented her shortbread and pound cake, Mako-chan would blush and look at the floor. "Oh, it's pretty easy to make. It's my mother's old recipe, and she taught me how."  
  
"I could never make anything this good," Usagi said, her cheeks stuffed with Makoto's delicious cake.  
  
"That's because you don't stop eating long enough to cook anything," Minako said, chewing on a cookie. "But I can't bake either. Fortunately, I don't really have to." She grinned slyly and picked up another cookie.  
  
It was true; Minako had finally achieved her dream and become an idol. She never had to cook, in favor of ordering out or having someone else whip up a dish for her. She had had a spectacular audition at a talent search and was signed on with a leading recording label. Usagi would never forget the day she and the others found out about Minako's triumph.  
  
They had met at Rei's to do their homework, and everyone wondered where Minako was. "I know she hates studying, but it's unlike her to just not show up without calling us," Makoto said.  
  
Rei chewed on the end of her pencil thoughtfully. "Maybe she finally ran away with a hot guy," she giggled. "You know she's been trying to for years."  
  
Ami laughed softly. "Maybe she's at the park, playing volleyball or something. It's a nice afternoon out."  
  
"Maybe she's decided to become an interplanetary explorer, and she's gone off to visit her home world and won't be back for days!" Usagi said excitedly.   
  
"Or maybe she just got a call from a recording company, and they're going to sign her on for a hit album!"  
  
The three girls snapped their heads around to meet the proud and shining face of Aino Minako.  
  
"You're…joking!" Usagi sputtered.  
  
"Not a bit! You're looking at the face of the next hit idol!" Minako gloated. "And you can be the first to get my official autograph. Here, I'll sign your math homework."  
  
But Usagi was too impulsive to wait for a famous idol to autograph her arithmetic, and instead jumped up to give the famous idol a crushing bear hug.  
  
"Usako?"  
  
Usagi watched another tear of wax work its way down the candle, hardening at the base. The candle was now considerably burned, and she brought her gaze up to meet Mamoru's eyes, two ovals of blue illuminated by the flickering light.  
  
He smiled. "Aren't you going to make your wish?"  
  
"Yes," Usagi said softly. He reached his hand across the table, taking her small one in a tender grasp. Usagi shut her eyes and took a deep breath.  
  
I wish…I wish for the unexpected. I wish the fairytale were more magical, less scripted.  
  
I wish for a life free from fate.  
  
She blew out the candle.  
  
Later that night, sitting quietly at her vanity, Usagi unwound her hair from its streaming ponytails and began her nightly ritual of brushing it. One hundred strokes a night, her mother used to say, only Usagi felt with her amount of hair she needed at least a thousand.   
  
Usagi sighed and laid her brush on the vanity. She clicked off her lamp and crawled into bed, gazing out her window at the full moon. Her home. Her destiny.  
  
She had nearly drifted off to sleep when she saw a star shoot across the sky. Sitting upright, she followed the blue arc it made through the sky until it disappeared somewhere near the horizon. Moments later, a yellow star made its way across the heavens, chasing after the former.  
  
She thought it was unusual to see two shooting stars at once, when suddenly a third star appeared. This one arced higher yet, blazing a red trail across the sky until it crossed over the glowing moon and descended into the cityscape.  
  
She had already made one wish that night, and thought perhaps the universe might find her selfish for attempting a second just a few hours later, but the red star had struck her. Not every wandering star was daring enough to approach the moon like that, she thought. The audacity of that beaming red light made her think of someone…someone she thought of more often than she admitted to anyone, even to Rei and especially not to Mamoru. A wandering star, with a bright and untamable glow.   
  
I wish…she began, and blushed at what she was preparing to wish for.  
  
I wish I could see him again.  
  
She snuggled back against her pillow, pulling her comforter up around her ears. In her mind's eye, she pictured a laughing man, with hair like the night and eyes like the sky, wandering through the galaxy to find her a second time.  
  
Across the city, Seiya Kou had finally arrived. 


	4. The Dare

SEVENTEEN  
  
(c) rikki-chan (lady bundtcake) 2004  
  
CHAPTER FOUR - THE DARE  
  
===  
  
"Wow."  
  
"Nice!"  
  
"I guess it will do," Yaten said, giving the lavish hotel room a skeptical look. He handed the bellhop some folded bills and ushered him out of the room before closing and locking the door, sliding the security chain into place. Then he turned back to give the room a second glance.  
  
Three full-size beds were lined up along one of the walls, facing an enormous wall filled with floor-to-ceiling windows covered by heavy drapes. Seiya bounded over to them and yanked on the chain, drawing back the curtains to reveal a spectacular night view of the city. "Got to love staying on the fourteenth floor," he said, grinning, as he took in the city lights.  
  
Taiki set a stack of books down on one of the bedside tables and joined Seiya at the window. "It may be a small planet, but it definitely has its share of beauty."  
  
Around the corner, Yaten was poking his head in the large bathroom. "Well, it's huge in here," he yelled, his voice echoing off the tile walls. "But there's only one bath. And as I'm already in here, I'm using it first!" He quickly shut the door and they heard the lock click.  
  
Taiki narrowed his eyes and headed toward the bathroom, pounding briefly on the door. "Yaten, I already called that when we were back out on the street!"  
  
"Sorry, I can't hear you over the running water!"  
  
Turning back to face Seiya, Taiki rolled his eyes. "He's such a brat," he said in a rather uncharacteristic tone that could almost pass for whiny.  
  
The black-haired man shrugged and flopped back on the middle bed, digging through the bedside table drawer for the remote. "We could rent a movie or something," he suggested. "I mean, Yaten's usually in the bathroom long enough for at least one epic film."  
  
"Thanks, but I think I'll just read a book," Taiki said, picking up one from the top of his stack and settling back onto his own bed.  
  
"Suit yourself," said Seiya, flipping on the television.   
  
He made it through an episode of a foreign soap opera and part of the late news before Yaten finally emerged from the bathroom, wearing a towel wrapped around his head like a turban and another around his waist. Seiya leaned back against the headboard and cracked a wide grin. "So the lovely Yaten Kou is finally ready to greet his adoring public, I see!"  
  
"Shove it," Yaten said gruffly, sitting down on the unoccupied bed. He removed his turban and ran his fingers through his damp silver hair. He glanced at the television. "What the hell is this?"  
  
"I don't know. Some nature program," Seiya tossed his partner the remote control. "Here, tune it to whatever. I'm going to run downstairs and grab a Coke. Want anything?"  
  
"Bottled water, if there is any."  
  
"How health conscious of you. Taiki?"  
  
Taiki glanced up from his book. "You could just order and have it brought up here."  
  
"Yeah, but I thought I'd take a walk."  
  
"Ah," Taiki went back to reading. "Water's fine with me, but I think I'll just call room service."  
  
Seiya rolled his eyes. "Well, I'm going to go get something laden with sugar and caffeine. You ladies enjoy your WATER."  
  
Stepping into the hallway, Seiya walked quickly to the stairwell. The elevator was just at the end of the hall, but Seiya had been feeling pretty keyed up ever since arriving back on this planet and needed to burn the energy. He took the steps two at a time all the way to the ground floor; he was so full of energy that he arrived in the lobby without even breaking a sweat. Seiya brushed his bangs out of his face and jogged past the front desk and into the lounge.  
  
Since it was almost midnight, the lobby was more or less empty save for the lone night clerk at the front desk, and the lounge itself was deserted. The only light came from the lighting around the pool outside and the gentle glow of the vending machines at the other end of the room. Seiya began to trot over to the Coke machine and gradually slowed, stopping midway through the room. He ran his hand through his hair in slight frustration.  
  
"I really must be stupid," he whispered to himself.  
  
He walked slowly over to the windows and stared out at the swimming pool. No one was in it at this late hour; Seiya just stood and watched the wind blow gentle ripples across the bright blue water. The full moon was reflected perfectly in one corner of the pool.  
  
Seiya sighed. Then he dug briefly through his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, flipped it open, and scrolled through the lighted display.   
  
He had already programmed her number into his address book, of course. It had been the first number he had entered, directly after purchasing the phone, while Taiki and Yaten were still arguing over maps and directions. They were tugging on opposite ends of the map, and Seiya was standing several feet behind them, typing in her name. O-D-A-N…  
  
"Seiya? Are you coming with us!"  
  
…G-O. "Right behind you," Seiya called back, flipping the phone shut.  
  
Now he stood alone in the darkened lounge, staring intently at the name, followed by several digits.  
  
He could call her.  
  
This was, of course, under the assumption that she still lived with her parents, in that plain suburban house, in that second-story room with the window Seiya had stood beneath on those lonely nights, gazing solemnly for a hint of movement behind the curtains. That little house he had casually passed by as often as he could without it seeming indecent or odd, in hopes of catching a glimpse of her through the window, or walking through the front door, or perhaps sitting on the pavement outside.   
  
He had her phone number, right here. All he had to do was press the green call button; the phone would ring and she would answer and then oh, to hear Odango's bubbly, cheerful voice on the other end.   
  
He ran his thumb beside that button.  
  
Or maybe it would be like last time, and he would only get a busy signal, because she was on the phone with someone else, Rei-chan or Minako-chan or…or…  
  
Seiya groaned inwardly and shut his eyes.  
  
"I really, really must be stupid," he muttered. Something warm and wet slithered down his cheek; Seiya brushed his hand across his face and was surprised to find a few tears had escaped his closed eyes.  
  
He knew it was pathetic, to have come all the way down here and stand alone in the dark, crying like an insecure little child…but god, why did this one thing have to keep gnawing at him? Why couldn't he just let it go?  
  
Why couldn't he just dial her number, and hear her sweet little voice?  
  
Because, Seiya thought bitterly. Because…well, he wasn't exactly sure why. Because it was too hard.  
  
There you go, Fighter, Seiya thought. Way to live up to your name. Oh, poor me, it's just so HARD! Buck up, man! Just dial the stupid number.  
  
Seiya placed his finger on the call button.  
  
The lounge lights came on, flickering a few seconds before emitting a steady light and bathing him in their brightness. A janitor was standing in the doorway, a mop in one hand and a bucket in the other.  
  
"You okay, kid?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine," Seiya said. "I just came down here to grab a Coke."  
  
He snapped the phone shut and walked over to the vending machine.  
  
===  
  
"He's going to screw something up, you know," Yaten said, flipping rapidly through the channels without actually watching anything.  
  
Taiki sighed and marked his place in his book. Shutting it, he removed his glasses and leaned back against the headboard of his bed. "I know. I can't help feeling this may have been a bad idea."  
  
"Well, what was I supposed to do?" Yaten was obviously irritated. He punched the OFF button on the remote and tossed it on the bed. "I couldn't just say, 'Oh, Seiya, by the way, Taiki and I are running off to Earth for a week and you aren't invited,' could I? He already knew about her birthday coming up, you know. He's been writing her a damn song. He just didn't know he'd actually get an opportunity to perform it for her live."  
  
"We could have declined the invitation in the first place."  
  
The silver-haired man sighed, flopping onto his back and gazing at the ceiling. "I know. But Taiki…"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Look, promise this doesn't leave this room."  
  
"I won't tell Seiya, if that's what you're asking."  
  
Yaten closed his eyes. "Well, I really did want to see them again. And yes, by them I do mean Minako-chan. But if you ever mention it to Seiya, you're a dead man."  
  
"Understood," Taiki nodded. "I felt the same about Mizuno-san. Of course, the attraction may be due to an intellectual compatibility, but we did seem to hit it off rather well."  
  
"Sure, great, whatever. Taiki, the point is that what we feel is just that; it's an attraction. I haven't lain awake nights dreaming of Minako. Maybe one or two times a week, back when we first got home, but it wasn't like she consumed my every waking thought. With Seiya, it's…it's different," Yaten gave a short laugh. "You know, I always sort of thought he'd fall for Kakyuu-hime in the end, just by default."  
  
"I did, too. I think even she did."  
  
"But he didn't, and that's my point. Their love seemed so perfect, almost destined, and even though it seemed so fated, it ended up not working out. Or maybe it's because it felt like it was supposed to happen, and that's why it ultimately didn't, I don't know." A pair of olive eyes focused intently on his friend. "You see what I'm saying?"  
  
"You're saying you see the same thing happening between Usagi-chan and Mamoru-san."  
  
"Exactly. Which is why I almost feel like maybe Seiya WON'T screw this up, and it IS a good thing we came back here."  
  
"The conclusion is easy to make, although the logic is inherently wrong," Taiki pointed out. "See, just because A was in love with B but subsequently chose C does not mean that…"  
  
"All right, look, since when has logic had anything to do with the nature of love?" snapped Yaten, flicking a piece of hair out of his face. "All I'm saying is that maybe it's not a lost cause, and maybe Seiya won't screw anything up."  
  
Taiki allowed himself to express a rare grin. "Well, the first is a possibility, though I have my doubts about the second."  
  
The pair burst into laughter just as the door gave an electronic click and Seiya strolled back in, sipping soda from a can. He raised his eyebrows.  
  
"Sounds like a slumber party in here." Seiya settled back onto his bed and took a big gulp of Coke.  
  
"Ha. Truth or dare, Seiya?"  
  
The dark-haired boy let out a huge belch. "Truth."  
  
"Who looks better in uniform, Maker or me?"  
  
"Maker. You look like a little girl who got attacked by the vinyl fairy."  
  
"Hey, my uniform is the same as both of yours!" Yaten said indignantly.  
  
"Well, Maker's got nice legs," Seiya grinned lopsidedly at Taiki, who just rolled his eyes. "Truth or dare, Taiki?"  
  
"Truth."  
  
"Figures," Seiya took another swig. "Who's more of an asshole, Yaten or me?"  
  
"You both have your shortcomings."  
  
"Yeah, Yaten's are just ESPECIALLY short," chortled Seiya. Yaten chucked a pillow at his head.  
  
"Truth or dare, smartass," Yaten growled as Seiya lobbed his pillow back at him.  
  
"Dare."  
  
Yaten smirked. "I dare you to call her right now and confess your undying love."  
  
Seiya stiffened.  
  
Taiki shook his head. "Yaten, that was low even for you."  
  
"Oh, I was just kidding," replied the smaller man. "Besides, it's not like he'd actually do it."  
  
Rising abruptly from the bed, Seiya crushed his Coke can in one hand and hurled it into the trash, turning his back on his companions in favor of staring intently out of the window. Neither Taiki nor Yaten made a move to confront him. An awkward silence descended upon the room.  
  
Seiya slid one hand into his pocket, coming in contact with the cool surface of his cell phone.  
  
In answer, the hotel room's phone rang loudly, shattering the silence.  
  
Yaten lunged for it, thankful for a mood change, and answered. "Hello?"  
  
"Yaten-kun!" came a bubbly voice from the other end.  
  
"Mi—Minako-chan?" Yaten fumbled.  
  
Taiki tore his gaze from Seiya to look at Yaten. At the window, Seiya gave no indication that he was paying any attention at all to the exchange on the phone.  
  
"Minako-chan, I don't mean to sound abrupt, but how the hell did you find out where we were staying?"  
  
Her laughter rang out clearly on the other end. "Networking, of course! I have some of the best connections in town. I had Ami-chan calculate how long it might take you to travel here and we figured you may have arrived a day early. She said she saw some shooting stars earlier this evening, so she ran a trace and said they seemed to match up with the energy trails she had stored for you in her database. Then all it took was a call to my agent and a couple of other people in the business to find out where you were staying, and now here we are!" Minako giggled. "How was your trip?"  
  
"It was fine. Nothing major," Yaten said coolly.   
  
"Well, listen up, here are the plans. We still haven't told Usagi-chan that you guys are coming, but of course we're not going to hold you hostage at Haruka-tachi's for the week without actually seeing her because that would be stupid. So tomorrow, after you check out from the hotel, just drop by my apartment and we'll figure out where we're going from there. I'm having the directions faxed to your hotel and the manager said he'd have the bellhop deliver them to you tomorrow with breakfast, since you guys and I are all fairly big idols around here. It's pretty easy to pull a few strings, you know? Just have Seiya call up your agent to have a car sent over, since I heard from my people that that's basically what he did tonight. And then we'll all meet up somewhere and you guys can see the birthday girl, and we'll go from there. Maybe we'll head to the amusement park or something," Minako paused to take a breath. "She's going to be so thrilled to see you again. I am, too, actually."  
  
He couldn't help himself; Yaten smiled. "I'm excited to see you again, too."  
  
"I'm going to go ahead and let you go, since you've probably had a long day. Sleep well, okay? Oh, and tell Seiya…tell Seiya she's missed him, all right? Bye."  
  
Yaten placed the receiver back on the hook and gazed at Seiya's back.   
  
The awkward silence had returned once again, this time interrupted by Taiki. "It's late," he said, undoing his long ponytail and letting his chestnut hair fall around his shoulders. "We should get some rest."  
  
"I'm not going to call her," Seiya said abruptly.  
  
"Look, Seiya," Yaten started. "I didn't mean it…"  
  
"No," Seiya turned around, his ebony ponytail whipping around behind him. "I mean, I'm not going to call her to confess my undying love, as you so eloquently put it."  
  
The other two remained silent, looking at Seiya apologetically.  
  
"No," Seiya murmured. He folded his arms casually and assumed the cockiest stance possible, quirking one eyebrow mischievously.  
  
"When the time is right, I'll tell her to her face." 


	5. Reunion

SEVENTEEN  
  
(c) rikki-chan (lady bundtcake) 2004  
  
CHAPTER FIVE - REUNION  
  
===  
  
Setsuna had been a morning person for as long as she could remember which, she thought wryly, was a pretty long damn time. Her lifetime spent guarding the Gates of Time had taught her that too much sleeping in can only lead to two things: missing out on something good or trouble. As she felt she rarely saw good times, and as she disliked chaos of any kind, Setsuna followed an "early to rise" policy and got up with the sun.  
  
She was in the kitchen, just pouring her first cup of coffee, when she heard the padding of little stocking feet and wondered why on earth her daughter was up at this time of day. Poking her head around the doorway, she called out to her.  
  
"Hotaru-chan?"  
  
No answer. Setsuna frowned, setting the coffee pot back on the burner and proceeding into the hallway that led to the dining room. She bent down and peered beneath the large table.  
  
Hotaru was crouched between the table legs, and upon seeing her Setsuna-mama's face, she quickly shook her head and signaled for silence. Setsuna obliged, thinking something had probably spooked the little girl, and crawled under the table to join her.  
  
"What is it?" she whispered.  
  
"Michiru-mama is maaaad," she hissed back.  
  
Setsuna arched an eyebrow. She was used to the occasional argument between her two housemates, but was wise enough to know that they sometimes got pretty brutal. She and Hotaru both sounded the retreat whenever that happened and took great pains to stay out of sight. "What did your papa do now?" Setsuna asked.   
  
Hotaru allowed herself a stifled giggle. "Minako-san called this morning and said Seiya-tachi arrived last night and stayed at a hotel. She said today they were all going to go do something together, but she wanted to bring them by here first so they could drop off their luggage," Hotaru grinned knowingly at her mama. "Anyway, Michiru-mama told Haruka-papa she had to get up because people were coming and…well, you know how Haruka-papa is in the morning."  
  
The time guardian snorted, banging her head on the table as she did so. Rubbing her head, she thought ruefully that if there was ever an opposite of her own morning bird habits, Haruka embodied it. Too many times, Setsuna had passed by their bedroom only to hear Michiru yelling that if Haruka didn't get up THIS MINUTE, she would spend the next week on the couch. It usually worked. Setsuna hated it when it didn't work, actually, since Haruka always left her old clothes strewn all over the living room when Michiru kicked her out of their shared bed.  
  
"So what did Michiru say?"  
  
"The usual threats," Hotaru said, confirming Setsuna's suspicions. She giggled. "But then she said if Haruka-papa didn't go downstairs and get coffee started, she'd ask Seiya to do more than just help her undress this time!"  
  
The young woman and her daughter nearly exploded with laughter, clamping their hands over their mouths to keep most of it in. "Thank god I've already started the coffee," Setsuna gasped, wiping a tear from her eye. "Haruka might REALLY kill Seiya this time if I hadn't!"  
  
"Oh, there you are."  
  
Setsuna and Hotaru popped their heads out from under the table to meet Michiru's even blue gaze. She was already dressed in a casual but typically elegant sundress, with her shining aqua hair pulled back into a loose and flowing ponytail. She smiled down at them. "Having a powwow? I just came down to make breakfast and noticed you'd been in the kitchen already."  
  
Setsuna smiled and crawled out from beneath the table, swiftly joined by her daughter. She brushed a dark lock out of her eyes as she stood up, smoothing down her blouse. "We were just hanging out until the storm blew over. Hotaru-chan gave me forewarning."  
  
Michiru sighed and rolled her eyes. "Disaster averted, I think. She's in the shower. It took some effort, but I finally got her up," she smiled, her eyes glinting. "Although I'm pretty sure you don't want details."  
  
"Spare us. So, they're coming over? When?"  
  
The aqua-haired beauty checked her watch. "About an hour. Minako-chan said they only just woke up, and she said Yaten usually spends forever styling his hair, so she told us there wasn't a rush." The three ladies walked back into the kitchen, and Michiru pulled a carton of eggs out of the refrigerator. "How do waffles sound?"  
  
"Fantastic. I'll make some bacon. Hotaru-chan, can you pour me a cup of coffee?" Setsuna asked, opening up a cabinet to dig for a pan. "So what are the plans for today?"  
  
"Well, Minako-chan said they're all going to go to the park and make a day of it. We're also invited, if you're interested. I'd like to go, but I'll have to check with sleeping beauty up there," Michiru rolled her eyes.  
  
"Here you go," Hotaru handed Setsuna a steaming cup of coffee and poured Michiru one as well. "I'd like to go, too," she chimed in. "We haven't all hung out together in a really long time."  
  
"Setsuna?"  
  
Setsuna sipped from her mug. "Well, my project up at the lab isn't due until late next week, so I could probably stand to take the day off. And it would be nice to spend a day with everyone."  
  
"I don't want to go."  
  
The three girls turned their heads to meet a very disgruntled Haruka standing in the kitchen doorway, rubbing her damp hair with a towel and clad only in a white t-shirt and her boxers. She pulled the towel off her head and flicked a finger through her wet bangs, making a face. "I can't believe you want to spend the day with THEM, Michiru. Seiya's an ass."  
  
"Oh?" Michiru arched a curious eyebrow. "Why is he such an ass?"  
  
"Look at him!" Haruka spat. "Thinks he's so good at everything, stuck up, arrogant, rude little prick who thinks all the women in the world are just dying to jump into his pants."  
  
"Sounds like someone else I know," Setsuna muttered into her coffee.  
  
The sky senshi's sharp ears didn't miss a beat, and she narrowed her glittering teal eyes at Setsuna. "What was that?"  
  
"She says you and Seiya are a lot alike," Michiru said plainly, infuriating her lover. She simply walked very gracefully across the kitchen and planted a kiss on Haruka's cheek. "Now behave. Think of some other people's interests for once instead of your own. And remember, this is for Usagi-chan. You wouldn't want to upset her."  
  
Haruka's hard expression softened at the mentioning of her little kitten. She sighed heavily. "All right, but only for Odango. And that's the only reason I'm doing this."  
  
"Silly," Michiru giggled. "You're doing it for me, too. Otherwise I'm putting you in the extra guest room with Seiya-sama for the week."  
  
===  
  
"Well, we weren't TOO far off from the map the other night," Taiki said, turning his map and peering through the limousine's windows at the streets rushing by. "See, I was right, we just needed to head a few blocks in the other direction."  
  
"Yeah, and if I had legs up to my neck, I'd have been ready to sprint all that way, too," grumbled Yaten.  
  
"Oh, don't bait me, Yaten. It's too early for me to think of any good short joke comebacks."  
  
"Shut up, Seiya."  
  
Minako giggled and settled back into the plush seat of her limousine. She didn't ordinarily ride around in this car; she much preferred a smaller, sportier car that she had purchased with her first paycheck (a yellow beauty she had had modeled after Haruka's baby, much to the older woman's personal annoyance). However, for carting around her friends, the limo was much more practical. It could comfortably seat ten passengers, and Minako was fairly sure she could squeeze a few extra people in for today. Maybe they could stick Haruka and Taiki up front with the driver, since their legs were so long.  
  
Seiya was fiddling with the power windows, letting in a breeze that persistently fluttered Taiki's map. The two quickly became engaged in an argument over it, and Minako took the opportunity to inch a little bit closer to Yaten. The young man didn't miss it, but instead of giving her attitude, he favored her with a rare smile.  
  
"So, you finally did it, huh?" he said softly.  
  
Minako beamed. "Yep! I always knew I would be an idol, especially after you said I had the talent for it. It was all just a matter of timing." She fluffed out her bangs and smiled happily. "Funny how that works, isn't it? Sometimes it has nothing to do with how good you are, but just being in the right place at the right time."  
  
"Tell me about it. Like take those two over there," Yaten said, nodding his head at the bickering pair in the seats across from them. "If they weren't so involved in arguing, I wouldn't have enough time to do this."  
  
He took her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze, followed by a soft kiss on her cheek. Minako blushed.  
  
"Luna would be so jealous," she giggled.  
  
Seiya had stopped arguing for a millisecond and caught the amorous gazes being exchanged between his friend and the cute blonde senshi. "Oh look, Taiki," he mused, "Young love in springtime."  
  
"Shove it," Yaten said, pulling away slightly from Minako, who fidgeted uncomfortably. Then, on second thought, Yaten stretched back comfortably and slung his arm around Minako. He made a face. "You're just jealous."  
  
Seiya laughed. "I'm proud of you, Yaten. You do have a heart." He winked at Minako. "We need you to stick around, lady. You definitely take the edge off that boy."  
  
Minako just laughed and pinched Yaten on the cheek. He frowned, of course, but she beamed up at him and then at Seiya. "Leave it to the goddess of love and beauty to cure all that ails you!" she chortled, before glancing out the window and sitting up suddenly. "Hey, look, we're there!"  
  
The driver was easing the large car into the front drive of Haruka-tachi's large country home. Minako, Yaten, Seiya, and Taiki unbuckled and piled out of the car doors, greeting a smiling Hotaru who was running down the drive to meet them.  
  
"Everyone!" she laughed, giving Seiya and Minako a hug. She smiled. "It's good to see you! Did you have a safe trip?"  
  
Michiru and Setsuna had joined the group, and the limo chauffeur had opened up the trunk and was pulling out the Three Lights' luggage. Setsuna cocked an eyebrow at the number of cases emerging from the trunk. "Is all that yours? I thought you were only staying the week," she said.  
  
"Yaten doesn't pack light," Taiki said stoically.   
  
"Next time, I'm putting HIM in a suitcase," added Seiya.  
  
"Well, the more, the merrier," Michiru said. She hugged Seiya and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Welcome back, stranger," she said, eyes glinting mischievously.  
  
Seiya winked at her. "Is the master of the house out?"  
  
"Oh no, she's upstairs, brooding. I imagine she'll be down when we're ready to leave. Kicking and screaming, of course," Michiru said.  
  
"Are we going to ride in your limo, Minako-san?" Hotaru asked, bouncing giddily.  
  
Minako bounced right along with her. "Yep! My very own, first-ever limo! Actually, this should be a treat; I've never tried to stick so many people in it before. We'll see if it lives up to its price tag."  
  
"I can't believe you own two cars already," Setsuna said, shaking her head.  
  
"Hopefully I'll buy another soon. I need something less flashy. I'm starting to forget what it was like to be able to go into Crown and play a round of games without getting mauled by fans."  
  
"See?" Yaten interrupted. "You see what it's like? And that's what YOU always did to us, and now you know how it feels."  
  
"Just the breaks of being an idol. Anyway," Minako flashed him a grin, "Some of the fans aren't that bad."  
  
Yaten coughed, and Taiki heaved a bag to his shoulders. "Mind if we go ahead and set up camp?"  
  
"Not at all," Michiru said, leading the party into the house. The Three Lights trailed behind her, laden with bags, followed by Setsuna and a giggling Minako and Hotaru.   
  
"We've only got the two guest rooms," said Michiru, as the group ambled through the hallway. "The biggest is this room here, and the smaller one is the last door at the end of the hall. This room has two beds and the other just has the one, so you'll have to fight over who gets the single." She pushed open the door to the larger room, revealing two made-up beds and an empty closet.   
  
Yaten and Taiki threw each other a look. "We'll take this one," they said in unison.  
  
"Hey," Seiya huffed, "What, do I have the plague or something."  
  
"No, but you snore," Yaten said, tossing his bag down onto one of the beds.  
  
Minako giggled, and Setsuna gave Seiya a quizzical look. "Does he really?"  
  
"No," Taiki said, "But Seiya is an incurable insomniac. Sometimes he's up until four in the morning, just because he can't sleep."  
  
"And then when you finally beg and plead with him to just put the light out and go to bed…" Yaten added.  
  
"He gets out his guitar and starts playing," Taiki finished.  
  
"Oh, and once he starts writing music, there's no stopping it."  
  
"You can't squelch creative genius. It's not MY fault my creative juices flow best at night," Seiya said, taking his guitar case and his luggage and strolling down to the bedroom at the end of the hall.  
  
"Yeah, but you could at least TRY to keep a normal schedule, you nut," Yaten shouted after him.  
  
Setsuna smiled. "I've never been much of a sleeper either, so I can sort of identify with Seiya on this one. I'm the only person in this house who sleeps on the downstairs floor, since I'm always the first one up in the morning and the last to go to bed."  
  
"Well, Seiya definitely doesn't get out of bed early," pointed out Yaten.  
  
"This morning, we practically had to drag him out," added Taiki.  
  
Michiru laughed. "Sounds like someone else I know."  
  
"You were saying?" a deep voice from behind her spoke.  
  
Haruka wrapped her arms around Michiru from behind and rested her chin in Michiru's gleaming hair, frowning slightly at Yaten and Taiki. Then she seemed to think better of it and managed to smile at them. "Welcome back," she said, releasing one of her hands from Michiru's slender waist to shake with each of them.  
  
Taiki nodded. "Haruka-san. Good to see you."  
  
Seiya had dropped off his stuff in his room and was now heading back up the hallway to meet up with the group. He stopped when he met Haruka's dark gaze, but only for the briefest of moments before he immediately assumed his cockiest stance. Smirking, he stuck his hand out to shake with Haruka's. Michiru noticed both their hands seemed pretty tense.  
  
"Haruka-san. Letting us crash your planet once more, eh?"  
  
"It would seem," Haruka said mildly, withdrawing her hand.   
  
It was Minako who broke the awkwardness, her face flushed with excitement.  
  
"Well? What are we doing in this hallway? Let's go have fun!"  
  
===  
  
Usagi yawned and ate another donut, stretching her legs out across the floor. Seated at Rei's small table, Ami and Makoto were reviewing their homework assignments, and Rei was sprawled on her bed reading manga. Usagi didn't feel like joining in and doing actual work, so she was relaxing on the floor, eating some of Makoto's homemade donuts and letting her toenails dry. She licked powdered sugar off her fingers and carefully screwed the cap back on the tiny bottle of nail polish.  
  
"Well?" she asked, pointing her toes so everyone could see. "What do you think?"  
  
Rei glanced up from her manga and peered at Usagi's toes. "They're pink," she said critically.  
  
"I like pink!"  
  
"I don't. I mean, we're not fourteen anymore."  
  
Usagi frowned. "Adults can like pink too, Rei-chan."  
  
"I like red," Rei said, going back to reading.  
  
Usagi sighed. It was amazing how after all these years, she and Rei could still argue over almost anything. Usagi could say the sky was blue, and Rei would call it more of a lavender. It never failed.   
  
Still trying to gain someone's attention, Usagi stretched her foot out over the table where Ami and Makoto were working.   
  
Makoto pushed Usagi's leg aside. "We're a little busy, Usagi-chan."  
  
"Aw, you guys!" Usagi pouted. "It's Saturday! We don't even have school today. Plus," she grumbled, "It's still morning. We should be out doing things. Why else did you call me over here if we weren't going to do anything?"  
  
Ami, who couldn't hold a poker face if her life depended on it, glanced anxiously at Rei. Rei shook her head very slightly and said, "Because we thought it would be better for you if you actually got up before noon once on a Saturday, idiot. All you do is eat and sleep. I don't want the solar system to be ruled by a Neo-Queen Serenity who's as round as the moon itself."  
  
Usagi glared at her, and Makoto had to stifle a laugh. "Maybe I did make a few too many donuts," Makoto said, edging the plate away from Usagi.  
  
"Hey, where's Minako?" Usagi asked suddenly, glancing around as though she might see the familiar face at any moment.  
  
Ami looked flustered, but Makoto cut in. "She's probably off doing some idol thing," she said, brushing her hand, "You know she's always busy these days. Even Saturday isn't a day off for an idol."  
  
"Arguably, it's even more work," Ami added. "Remember the Three Lights had to film movies on Saturdays sometimes."  
  
Rei and Makoto gave her stern looks and Ami immediately clammed up, but Usagi had caught the familiar name. "The Three Lights," she murmured. Suddenly, she thought of the star she had seen just last night. She smiled dreamily. "Sometimes I wonder if we'll ever see them again."  
  
"Erm…well, it is a very long way to travel," Makoto said. "How far away is Kinmoku, Ami-chan?"  
  
Ami had already started pulling out her mini supercomputer, when the door to Rei's room slid open and Minako burst in with Hotaru on her heels. "Morning!" she shouted.  
  
Usagi smiled and jumped up to greet her friend. "Minako-chan! Hotaru-chan! What are you doing here?"  
  
"We came for you, silly," Minako said, giving her a hug. "I've got a surprise out in the car."  
  
"It's about time," Rei said. "She'd almost finished off the donuts and we were running out of things to keep her occupied with!"  
  
Usagi ignored her and cocked her head at Minako. "A surprise? What is it?"  
  
Minako laughed and Hotaru clapped her hands together gleefully. "Just wait till you see!" Hotaru said excitedly.  
  
"First off, how are you?" Minako asked. "I haven't seen you in a while. I've been pretty busy."  
  
"Oh, I'm all right," Usagi smiled, but she looked a little tired. "I got up pretty early today to see Mamo-chan off. His flight left at eight this morning. Then I came back here."  
  
"Oh yeah," Minako gave her a sympathetic look. "Are you doing all right?"  
  
Usagi shrugged. "I'm fine, really," she said. "It was…much easier this time. I don't know, I guess you get used to these things." She gave a small laugh, but it wasn't exactly mirthful. Usagi bit her lip and thought about the wish she had made just the other night. Good thing her friends didn't know about that.  
  
"Well, come on," Minako said, tugging on Usagi's hand. Hotaru took her other hand. "You've got to come out to the limo right now, because we're all going to the amusement park. Everyone's here; Haruka-tachi and…oh, just come on! Ami-chan, Mako-chan, Rei-chan, come on!"  
  
In the car, Seiya was fidgeting anxiously. He hadn't felt this keyed up since…well, he couldn't really remember. Normally he took great pains not to lose his cool in front of people, but at the moment he was as shaky as a toddler taking his first steps. He drummed his fingers relentlessly on the car seat.  
  
Michiru and Haruka were sitting in the seat opposite. Michiru leaned forward and took one of his hands in hers.  
  
"You'll be fine," she said sweetly. "She'll be very happy to see you."  
  
Seiya's throat felt too dry to say anything in response, and his eyes grew wide when Haruka hesitantly gave him a brief clap on the shoulder.   
  
"She will be happy to see you. Just don't do anything to hurt her, or I'll kill you," Haruka said, smirking a little.  
  
Seeing that brash confidence that was so oddly like his own cheered Seiya a little, and he favored Haruka with a cocky smirk of his own. "Thanks," he said.  
  
Usagi was quickly dragged through the grounds of the Hikawa Shrine by Minako and Hotaru, who led her rapidly down the many steps to street level. Behind them, Ami, Rei, and Makoto panted to keep up.  
  
"Are we making a big mistake by doing this?" Ami whispered between breaths.  
  
Makoto shook her head. "Look, maybe nothing's changed. She still loves Mamoru-san, but it might just be a nice refresher to see an old friend."  
  
Rei bit her lip. "I don't know. Usagi's been acting different lately. She's not nearly as lovesick as she used to be. Maybe she's just maturing and learning how to handle life better, but then again…well, maybe she's changing. She's just not the same anymore. She isn't bubbly around Mamoru-san. Half the time it feels like they're only sticking together out of duty." She shook her long raven hair as though to clear her thoughts.  
  
"I mean, I want her to do whatever is right, but I don't want her to suffer and feel depressed because she feels she's living a life she has no control over."  
  
Ami and Makoto nodded. "We'll just have to see, and hope Usagi-chan does her best," Ami said.  
  
"Ta-da!" Minako said, as the girls arrived at her limo. "Primo seats, too. Now there aren't any place cards or anything, so just squeeze in wherever you can find a spot." She flung open the side doors. "Ladies and gentlemen, our guest of honor, Tsukino Usagi!"  
  
Usagi's face split into a wide grin as people began piling out of the car to greet her. "Haruka-san! Michiru-san! Setsuna-san!" she said, giving each of them a hug. "I didn't know you were spending the day with us, too! Are you the surprise?"  
  
Michiru smiled warmly. "I think Minako-chan volunteered to bring you something a little more exotic than us," she said, gesturing back to the car.  
  
Usagi looked around her. Her mouth fell open as she saw Taiki and Yaten hop out of the car and walk towards her, wide grins on their faces. "T-taiki-san!" she gasped. "Yaten-kun! H-how…you came back!"  
  
"It's not every day a young princess turns seventeen," Taiki said gallantly, bending down to give her a kiss on the cheek and a hug. "You look lovely as ever."  
  
Yaten kissed her other cheek, hugging her shoulders lightly. "You better be happy with your surprise. We came from the other side of the galaxy just to see you."  
  
Usagi flushed and smiled happily at them both. "I am happy! This is amazing. But did…" she trailed off, not sure how to ask.  
  
Yaten rolled his eyes. "Of course he did, he's just got cold feet. Oy, Seiya!" he yelled back at the car.  
  
Usagi strained to see inside the darkened vehicle, when suddenly a leg swung out of the car, followed by another, and before she knew it the full body of Seiya Kou had emerged from the limo.   
  
He stood there, the brilliant light of the morning sun striking his ebony hair and giving it a bluish glow. His shaded eyes were gleaming mischievously, although his mouth was set in a straight line.  
  
Looking at her, in a simple pink flower-print dress with little thong sandals that exposed her pink toenails, watching the sunlight bounce off her golden hair and light up her expressive blue eyes, Seiya thought he had never seen anything so beautiful. He didn't know whether to scoop her up in his arms and kiss her passionately, or pull on one of her long pigtails and make fun of her hairstyle. He thought the first would probably attract more attention than he had bargained for at the moment, and so he settled on teasing her.  
  
"Well, Odango," he said, his eyes glowing. "Don't I get a hug, too?"  
  
"Seiya," she said softly. She felt suddenly confused as to what to do. She hadn't expected to feel quite like this if she ever saw him again, this strange reaction that made her breath catch and her heart pound a little too hard. She guessed she really HAD missed him.  
  
"Seiya," she murmured again, before regaining her composure. "A hug?" she teased, "What do I get in return? Taiki-san and Yaten-kun both gave me a kiss!"  
  
Seiya said nothing, but his eyes glinted even more. He moved steadily towards her, like a cat ready to pounce, before putting his hands on her small shoulders and leaning forward, his cheek brushing against hers. Her skin felt warm and smooth and smelled faintly of rosemary, and he let his lips brush ever so slightly against her ear as he whispered, "I missed you." Then he planted a tender kiss on her cheek and drew his head back, smiling cockily.  
  
Usagi laughed, and threw her arms around him in a crushing bear hug. "I missed you, too!" she said. She turned back to Minako. "Well, are we going to ride in this limo, or what?"  
  
As the Three Lights and the younger girls piled back into the car, Michiru turned to Haruka and fanned herself jokingly. "You know, I just realized I was holding my breath through all of that," she said lightly.  
  
Haruka allowed the corners of her mouth to quirk up in a slight grin. "I swear, I'll kill him if he tries anything."  
  
"Oh, you!" Michiru laughed, swatting her playfully. "Let them have their fun. We'd better get in that car before they run out of seats and have to strap us to the hood."  
  
"Why won't you ever let me strap you to the hood of my car?"  
  
"Honestly, Haruka, you're impossible!" 


	6. Amusement

SEVENTEEN  
  
(c) rikki-chan (lady bundtcake) 2004  
  
CHAPTER SIX - AMUSEMENT  
  
===  
  
Seiya thought he might pass out.  
  
They were squeezing into the limo and, as Minako had foreseen, it was proving to be a rather complicated affair. Michiru, Haruka, and Setsuna managed to procure seats for themselves, but as the younger girls piled in the outer planetary senshi became suddenly aware of how long their legs were. Haruka obligingly let Hotaru sit in her lap to make room, while Taiki's lap housed half of Ami's leg (the owner of that leg was blushing profusely, but didn't seem to mind too much). Yaten and Minako were tangled up in a seat, laughing and trying to reach past each other to grab little cans of soda out of Minako's minibar, and Rei and Makoto squeezed in between Michiru and Setsuna.   
  
Which left Seiya sitting along the back wall with Ami, Taiki, Minako, Yaten, and…  
  
Usagi and Seiya were the last getting in, having dawdled some on the way over to allow enough time for exchanging jokes and playful slaps on the arm. Now Seiya had managed to slide over onto the back seat, but there wasn't any room left for another person.   
  
"Looks like you'll just have to sit on his lap, Usagi-chan!" Minako called merrily from her perch on Yaten.  
  
Rei looked as though she were about to comment on the situation, but thought better of it. "Come on, Usagi," she said, adopting her typical impatient demeanor. "Let's go!"  
  
Usagi's face was flushed bright pink as she crawled into Seiya's lap and shut the door behind her.  
  
And Seiya seriously thought he would pass out on the spot.   
  
The car started moving swiftly along the neighborhood streets, and Seiya realized he had no idea what to do. Which was ironic, he felt; he had always had a reputation as something of a lady-killer, even when he was a lady himself. And suddenly, confronted in what should have been his element, he found himself getting cold feet and not knowing what to do or say.  
  
So he didn't do anything, and just let his arms stay tensely at his sides with his fists clenched, as the car bumped and swerved down the road. Usagi didn't seem to notice his awkwardness; she was laughing loudly and giggling with the other younger girls and not really paying any attention at all to the person whose lap she was currently occupying.   
  
Seiya tried to relax, too, and finally started up a conversation with Ami and Taiki, as they were closest. They were droning on about metaphysics and other stuff Seiya didn't really care about when the car hit a sudden jarring bump.  
  
The girls squealed and Seiya's arms reflexively wrapped around Usagi's waist to keep her from toppling to the floor. Usagi gave a little start, but then she craned her head around to give him a smile.  
  
"Thanks," she said.  
  
"No problem."  
  
She didn't seem to shrug him off, so Seiya didn't bother to remove his arms from her waist. He figured the road was fairly bumpy along this stretch, so hey, might as well be prepared.  
  
Usagi continued to talk and giggle as the car sped along towards the amusement park. Presently, Seiya felt her body relax beneath his touch and she settled back against him.  
  
"Is this okay?" she asked quietly. "It's hard to sit up so straight like this, and my head keeps hitting the roof of the car."  
  
Seiya's mouth went dry. "No, you're fine," he finally managed to croak, hoping it didn't sound too pathetic.  
  
She didn't seem to notice, and favored him with a sideways smile before jumping in on a conversation Rei and Makoto were having.  
  
Seiya wasn't paying attention to anything around him. All he was aware of was the warmth of Usagi's body pressed against his chest, relaxing against him, her golden head fitting securely against his shoulder. He felt decidedly protective of the treasure in his arms, and instinctively his arms tightened around her body, holding her snugly against him. Her arms were folded above his, and her hands rested lightly on his forearms; he could feel the soft pads of her fingertips. Seiya allowed his eyes to close as he took in her lovely scent.  
  
He wanted nothing but to remain like this for hours, forever if possible. Just holding her and having her know that he would protect her from anything. Even if they were in a crowded, plush limousine, Seiya would protect her; he had already kept her from banging her shin on the floorboard, hadn't he?  
  
He hadn't even noticed the car had stopped and everyone was crawling over each other to the doors until Usagi elbowed him in the ribs. "Um, Seiya?" she said. "We're here."  
  
Seiya blinked and looked outside at the park looming over them. "So we are," he said, and reluctantly released his hold on her to allow her to bounce out of the car.  
  
He sighed and unbuckled his seat belt. Come on, Seiya, you're losing your nerve! He couldn't help but laugh a little at how clammy he got around her.  
  
As he began to crawl out of the limo, he felt a gentle tap on his shoulder. He turned slightly to come almost nose to nose with a grinning Aino Minako.  
  
"You think you're so smooth," she crowed, poking him in the ribs.  
  
"I don't have the slightest idea what you're talking about."  
  
"Seiya, come on. If you'd been any closer, the windows would have steamed up. All that heat would have been really bad on the upholstery, too," Minako chuckled. She lowered her voice, bringing her lips to Seiya's ear. "Just between us, she really HAS missed you, Seiya-kun. I think more than she even knows."  
  
"I keep hearing that," Seiya said agitatedly. "But what the hell can I DO about that? She has…well, she has HIM already."  
  
Minako shrugged slightly. "I know. And everyone told me, long before I got in contact with you guys about this whole party thing, that I was probably making a mistake and just opening the door for a past that should remain closed. That's what Rei-chan said, anyway," she furrowed her brow, and Seiya thought he'd never seen Minako look so serious and earnest.   
  
"In all honesty, Seiya-kun…I think you and Usagi-chan really had something between you. I would hate to see that go to waste."  
  
Seiya smiled weakly. "I would, too, but I never saw any alternative. We all know how she feels about me. 'We'll always be friends,' right?"  
  
"Maybe, but Usagi-chan has never been one for ultimatums," Minako grinned. "Besides…just give it a chance. You may be surprised at how much she's changed in a year."  
  
===  
  
"Rei-chan, we need to talk," Usagi said, gripping her dark-haired friend by the arm and steering her to a place in line for a rollercoaster.  
  
Rei linked her arm in Usagi's and allowed herself to be dragged away from the rest of their talkative group. Once they were a safe distance away, near the front of the line and surrounded by a crowd of people, Rei lowered her head and met Usagi's clear blue eyes. "What is it?"  
  
Usagi bit her lip. "I didn't know you had invited the Three Lights to come visit me." She glanced anxiously over Rei's shoulder to look at their friends, who had joined the end of the line and were chatting happily. The Three Lights and Minako had donned dark sunglasses, so they could enjoy their day without being pestered by fans.  
  
"I didn't invite them," Rei said. "It was Minako-chan's idea. All of this."  
  
"Oh. Why did…"  
  
"Usagi, I want you to know something," Rei said fiercely. "I was against this whole idea when Minako-chan first brought it up. I really was. But she won me over because she convinced me that this would be good for you, and you know what? I think she's right."  
  
"Good for me?"  
  
"Because you haven't been the same, Usagi. Ever since they left last year, you've changed. And I don't know if that's because of what the battle with Galaxia did to you, or if you're just getting older, but you've never been the same since the day Seiya and his friends left for Kinmoku."  
  
Usagi looked at the ground. "Things have been…difficult, Rei-chan."  
  
"Difficult?" Rei's dark eyes widened in confusion. "Difficult? If anything, I would have expected you to be on cloud nine this past year. You don't have to fight anymore, you have friends who care about you, you saved the entire galaxy, and on top of that you have true love. And yet you haven't been happy, you've been moping."  
  
"I know that," Usagi said, her frustration creeping onto her face.   
  
Rei gave her friend a startled look, as a few tears leaked out of Usagi's eyes. "I know, Rei-chan," she whispered. "I should be happy. I should be the happiest girl in the world. I have everything, don't I?"  
  
Rei swallowed. She hadn't meant to upset Usagi, but she always seemed to do just that, even when she was only trying to be honest with her. "Usagi…"  
  
"Rei-chan," Usagi gave her friend a desperate look. "How would you feel if you knew exactly how your life was going to be? If you knew every step and turn along the way, if you knew what it would ultimately become, and the only surprise left would be whether or not you were having ham or turkey on your sandwich that day?"  
  
Rei said nothing. Usagi clung tighter to her arm and leaned shakily against her, beginning to sob.  
  
"I don't mean to sound ungrateful," she said, her voice cracking. "Not after everything you've done for me. But Rei-chan…I feel like there's nothing left for me. Even though I love you, and this world, and Mamo-chan…I can't be happy. And I don't know why."  
  
Rei sighed and wrapped her other arm around her friend in a tight hug. "Because you aren't free," she said.  
  
Usagi sniffled and looked at her. "What?"  
  
"You aren't free, Usagi. You don't make your own choices. It's like you just said, you know exactly how your life is going to be, and instead of that being comforting, it's horrible," Rei sighed again. "You know, all my life I've tried as hard as I could to be able to read the messages in the fire. To know the future, so I could be prepared for whatever would happen. I studied for years to perfect my ability to perceive the unknown, so I would know what was coming next."  
  
Usagi nodded. "I remember. You used to get premonitions all the time."  
  
"Yeah, well. You know what I found out?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"It was awful!" Rei made a face. "Remember when the silence was approaching, and we were living in fear over it? Remember how I was the only one who had seen the inevitable end of the world, before Setsuna-san revealed it to the rest of you?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I felt like sometimes I couldn't live from day-to-day, because I was too caught up in what was happening in the future. I was scared, Usagi. I felt trapped. It was awful," Rei shook her head. "I know that comparing the end of the world to YOUR future isn't exactly the same, but I think I know how you feel. I know what it's like to feel like destiny is suffocating you."  
  
Usagi nodded slowly, gripping Rei's arm.   
  
"But you know what else, Usagi?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"That vision…the future I believed in so strongly that I couldn't see any other alternative…it never came to pass, remember?"  
  
"No, it didn't."  
  
"And do you know why that is?"  
  
Usagi shook her head, confused. "No."  
  
"It was because of you, Usagi," Rei said, smiling. "You believed things could be different. It was because you believed in that so strongly that we were able to escape fate. You weren't about to let it hold you down. And you changed everything, Usagi. You had that power. You still do."  
  
"Rei-chan, what are you saying?"  
  
"I'm saying if you're feeling too trapped to live your life, then do something about it!" Rei said, shaking Usagi roughly. "That's how you've always lived. Usagi, you may be a crybaby and a bit silly at times, but you're also the strongest person I've ever known and I KNOW you have the power to live your life however you want, destiny and fate be damned."  
  
Usagi looked at her hands, twisting her ring on her finger. She looked sadly up at Rei, her eyes slightly misty from tears. "I do love him, Rei-chan," she whispered.  
  
"Do you?"  
  
"I…" Usagi trailed off, brushing her bangs out of her eyes as she gazed at the sky. She shifted a few steps in the line. "Sometimes, Mamo-chan acts like he doesn't really want to be with me. Like he's only waiting for the future to happen, but right now we're just going through the motions."  
  
Rei said nothing. She followed Usagi as the line shifted forward, tossing a lock of raven hair over one shoulder and staring intently at the ground.  
  
"Sometimes, I wonder if that's all we'll ever do. Just go through the motions," Usagi laughed hoarsely. "I mean, I've always been in love with him, but there was never a choice in the matter. It was just meant to be. And sometimes I wonder what it would be like if Mamo-chan and I didn't have over a thousand years of relationship history that only existed in our past lives."  
  
"Usagi…" Rei started.  
  
"Oy, Odango!"  
  
The two girls whirled around to see a pair of dark sunglasses peering curiously at them—Seiya. He was perspiring slightly; it was clear he had jogged up to join them from the back of the line.  
  
He grinned as he pushed his hair off his forehead, sticking out his tongue in a pant. "You ran off and left us all stranded back there. Some guest of honor you are!"  
  
Usagi stuck her tongue out at him in return. "I thought YOU were the guest of honor, and I was just your excuse to make a visit back here."  
  
"Ah, Odango, I couldn't think of a better excuse than you," Seiya grinned, pushing her lightly on the shoulder. She shoved him back. "Anyway, are we riding this thing? Looks awfully scary, are you sure you're up to this?"  
  
"Please, Seiya. I've ridden rollercoasters with you before. You're much more scared on them than I am, AND you scream like a girl!" Usagi retorted.  
  
"I come by that honestly, seeing as I AM a girl," Seiya laughed. "Well, not at the moment. But it's out of necessity; otherwise my boxers wouldn't fit."  
  
"Seiya, the last thing any of us want to hear about is your boxers!" Usagi said, making a face.  
  
"Admit it, you've lain awake nights wondering about my underwear. What DOES Seiya-sama wear under those pants of his? Oh, I'll never know," Seiya said, mimicking her high-pitched voice.  
  
"You are so gross!" Usagi said, shoving him hard. Seiya lost his balance and bumped into a lady in line.   
  
"Sorry," Seiya said, nodding his head at the woman as he readjusted his sunglasses.  
  
"That's all—oh my god! Are you Seiya Kou of the Three Lights?" the woman gasped.  
  
Rei and Usagi tried to jump in and steer Seiya away from the woman before a scene happened, but Seiya decided to milk the opportunity for all it was worth. He pushed his glasses up on his head, revealing his sparkling eyes, and winked. "Back for a little reunion," he said.  
  
"Oh my god!" the woman shrieked. "It's Seiya Kou!"  
  
"Seiya Kou??"  
  
A small swarm of bouncy girls had suddenly pounced on an all-too-proud Seiya. He flashed a taunting grin over their heads at Usagi, who was beginning to feel a little annoyed by the interest all the women were taking in her friend.  
  
"Odango, why don't you ever do this to me?" he laughed.  
  
"Those…girls!" Usagi spat viciously, but only Rei heard her. "They don't even KNOW him!"  
  
"So? He's still pretty popular, after all," Rei said.  
  
"But look at them! They just jump all over him, like they've known him for years, and they haven't! How rude can you get?"  
  
"Sounds like you're a little jealous," Rei teased.  
  
Usagi's jaw dropped open. "I am not JEALOUS!" she said loudly, stamping her foot. "I just don't want Seiya to be attacked by fans on his day out with his OLD FRIENDS."  
  
"Well," Rei said mildly, "It doesn't look like he minds too much."  
  
Usagi's head snapped around to see a very smug-looking Seiya, signing a girl's stomach with a black marker.  
  
"Okay, that's it," Usagi grumbled, shoving her way through the crowd and attaching herself to Seiya's arm.   
  
Seiya glanced down at her, giving her a catlike grin. "Decided I'm worth claiming after all?"  
  
"You are all so rude to attack Seiya on his day off!" Usagi yelled at the girls, ignoring Seiya. "Don't you know that even idols occasionally want to spend time with their friends?"  
  
"Who are you?" one girl asked contemptuously.  
  
"You probably don't even know him. You're just another idol-chaser!"  
  
"I am not!" Usagi snapped.  
  
"No, she's not. She's my date," Seiya boasted.  
  
Usagi threw Seiya a wild look. "What??"  
  
"Seiya-kun, you have a girlfriend?"  
  
"No fair!"  
  
"She has her hair all up in that silly odango!"  
  
"I think they're cute," Seiya said, patting one of Usagi's hair buns.   
  
Usagi thwacked at his hand. "Tell them I'm not your girlfriend!" she hissed.  
  
"Seiya-kun! You and your girlfriend can sit right here in front," a booming voice said. Usagi glanced up and realized they had reached the front of the line, and the ride operator was addressing them. He gave her a grin, and she noticed he was missing a couple of teeth. "We give the best seats to popular idols and their true loves!"  
  
"But I'm not…" Usagi started to contradict him, but he was already boosting her into the rollercoaster's front seat. Seiya joined her, moving with a casual and relaxed gait, almost lazily.   
  
"Enjoy your ride, kids," the operator said, lowering the seat bar against their laps.  
  
Seiya stretched and put his arm around Usagi's shoulders. "Make it look good, Odango," he said, barely able to contain his laughter.  
  
Usagi blushed furiously. "Seiya, if this winds up printed in some magazine, I swear I will kill you!"  
  
"You won't have to. Haruka-san will get me first."  
  
Usagi opened her mouth to say something, but the ride had begun to creak and creep slowly forward, rising up the first hill.   
  
"Want me to hold on to you?" Seiya asked.  
  
Usagi glared at him. "I think we've been in each other's personal space enough for one day, don't you?"  
  
"How could I ever get enough of you?" Seiya laughed. "Especially when you're so eager to be near me!"  
  
Usagi made a snorting sound and started to open her mouth to contradict him, but the rollercoaster car had reached its summit. It lingered there for a millisecond before plummeting rapidly down the first large hill.  
  
Usagi screamed and flung her arms around Seiya's neck, clinging to him for dear life. Not to be outdone, Seiya screamed even louder than Usagi, putting his hands up in the air. "Put your arms up!" he shouted.  
  
"NO. WAY," Usagi gasped, her fingers clenching his shirt collar.  
  
Seiya hurriedly pried his shirt out of her grasp and jerked her arms into the air. Usagi shrieked, causing Seiya to go into fits of laughter, as the rollercoaster swooped along the lowest part of the track and began to climb the next hill.  
  
Usagi yanked her arms out of Seiya's iron hold and hit him on the shoulder. "You are so mean!" she yelled.  
  
"You are such a chicken!"  
  
"I am NOT!"  
  
"So put your arms in the air on this next hill. Here we go!"  
  
The rollercoaster zoomed into a downward spiral, and Seiya flung his hands up, laughing and yelling. Usagi gritted her teeth and felt suddenly determined not to be outdone. She shakily lifted her own arms into the air, gasping as the wind caught them and bounced her around on the plastic seat. She screamed, her blue eyes growing as huge as two plates.  
  
They hit bottom again and began yet another climb, this one significantly smaller in height, and Seiya gave her a wide grin. "Isn't this great?"  
  
Usagi giggled and shouted back, "It's all right!"  
  
The pair waved their arms and screamed for the remainder of their ride, until the rollercoaster cars finally reached the loading platform and screeched to a halt. A mechanical hiss raised the metal seat bar from their laps, and Seiya took Usagi's hand, helping her out of the car. Hand in hand, they ran swiftly off the platform and back into the park, Seiya adjusting his sunglasses once more so they could avoid the inevitable swarm of fans.  
  
They ran around behind a small lemonade stand and took several panting, laughing breaths. Usagi bent forward slightly, letting her hands rest on her thighs as she took a few deep breaths, and said, "You're impossible to go anywhere with. Even after you've been gone for a year, everyone still chases after you."  
  
Seiya was peering around the corner of the lemonade stand, keeping an eye out for wandering idol chasers. "Yeah, well, that's the breaks of stardom. It's tough to be both popular and as attractive as I am," he smirked.  
  
Usagi rolled her eyes. "You're so full of yourself."  
  
"Well, don't you think I can afford to be? Don't you think…" Seiya turned around to face her, and stopped short. His eyes widened and there was a moment of silence before he burst into laughter.  
  
"What?" Usagi asked.  
  
"O-odango…your hair!"   
  
"What's wrong with my hair?" Usagi lifted her hands to touch her hair and came into contact with a knotted, windblown mass. Her two long ponytails had unwound from their odango and were now tangled up together in a long, golden mess. "Oh NO," Usagi moaned, trying to run her fingers through it and only succeeding in snagging it further.  
  
"The rabbit of the moon has mange," Seiya joked.  
  
"Shut up!" Usagi snapped. "This isn't funny! It will take ages to pull all this out of these knots!"  
  
"Here, let me," Seiya said, grabbing one of Usagi's elbows and pulling her to him. She reluctantly dropped her hands as Seiya looked down calmly at the top of her head, his fingers working themselves into her long hair. Usagi blinked and noticed she was staring directly at his chest, just about eye level with the neckline of his shirt. Her eyes ran across the hollow of his throat and the strong line of his collarbone before she forced herself to look straight at the ground.   
  
Seiya's fingers were still tangled up in her hair, working their way across her scalp and patiently undoing all the windblown knots and kinks. Usagi swallowed as she felt her skin tingle beneath his gentle massaging, and she willed herself to think of something else, anything else, anything other than how pleasant and relaxing it felt to have Seiya stroking her hair like that.   
  
"Mmm," Seiya murmured, his fingers traveling behind her head and down the back of her neck, still unwinding her streaming hair.  
  
"What's the verdict?" Usagi gulped.  
  
"Well, looks fairly salvageable. Though we could always cut it and try to make a blanket out of it."  
  
"You're terrible!" Usagi yelped, jerking her head up. She hadn't realized this motion would place her in a fairly compromising position, with her face inches from Seiya's and his fingers still softly rubbing the back of her neck.   
  
Seiya's expression was unreadable. His deep blue eyes were fixed on hers, and Usagi felt herself growing decidedly warm under his steady gaze and gentle touch. She opened her mouth slightly, tempted to say something, anything, but words were failing her.  
  
Seiya's eyes glazed over momentarily, his head tilting slightly to one side, before he gave himself a slight shake and smiled vaguely at her. His eyes still held that dreamy look as he slowly twisted a lock of hair around his fingers and arranged it in a little bun on the side of her head.  
  
"Think I should do my hair in odango? We would make such a charming matched set. The fans would love it."  
  
Usagi closed her mouth, coming back down to earth. She felt herself relax abruptly, and hadn't realized she had been holding her breath.   
  
"I don't think you can handle odango," she said, smirking. She raised her hand to touch his, extracting her long hair from his fingers. She met him with a steady, teasing gaze before turning slowly and walking away from him, flipping a golden lock over her shoulders as she went.  
  
Seiya exhaled slowly, counting to ten. Then he smirked at her retreating form, his blue eyes glinting.  
  
"Oh, I think I can," he whispered to himself, before hurrying to catch up with her. 


	7. A New Adventure

SEVENTEEN  
  
(c) rikki-chan (lady bundtcake) 2004  
  
CHAPTER SEVEN - A NEW ADVENTURE  
  
===  
  
"Will you slow down already??"  
  
"You're just mad that you're so slow!"  
  
"Look, running isn't really my thing," Yaten Kou said, slowing his pace to a walk and taking several deep breaths. He smoothed his long bangs back from his flushed face, fanning himself with his hand. "Plus, it's insanely hot out here. And I hate sweating."  
  
Several feet ahead of him, Aino Minako had slowed, turning around so she could jog backwards while talking to the disgruntled boy. "Sweat's good for you. It will put hair on your chest," she laughed, pushing her sunglasses up on the bridge of her nose. Her face was gleaming with a healthy sheen, and Yaten had to admit she looked even better than he remembered, with her long, toned legs and her athletic build. Minako was every inch the stellar athlete; in fact, it annoyed Yaten at how good she was at so many things. She didn't have the impressive intellect of Ami or Taiki, or the maturity and grace of Rei and Michiru, but Aino Minako had always shone the brightest in Yaten's eyes. Now the lovely idol had stopped jogging and was bending forward to touch her toes, arching her back and stretching out her muscles.   
  
"Hair on my chest, huh?" Yaten drawled, folding his arms. "Oh, that's a huge incentive."  
  
"Isn't it?" Minako beamed, stretching her arms above her head. "Think how tough and hairy and manly you'll be after a little exercise."  
  
"In that case, you must have the hairiest chest in the world."  
  
"And you only wish you could verify that, I'll bet."  
  
Yaten grinned. "You're too fast for me, Aino. And I mean that literally. Can't we just walk?"  
  
The pair had made their way into a hedge maze, and it had been Minako's idea of fun to run through it, dodging around corners and blazing through it as swiftly as possible. Of course, Minako loved physical exertion in ways that the non-athletic Yaten couldn't fathom, and before he'd realized it he was panting desperately and trying to keep up with her.   
  
Minako smiled at him, grabbing him by the hand. "Sure, we can walk," she said happily, leading him forward through the maze.  
  
It was nice, Yaten admitted, being there with her. The hedge maze was so tall that the greenish walls rose several feet above their heads, and it seemed as though they were closed off from the rest of the world. Overhead, the sky was a beautiful blue with only a few puffy clouds decorating it, and the sun felt lovely and warm on their faces. Yaten laced his fingers through Minako's as the two walked on through the maze, their feet crunching softly on the gravel path.   
  
"Imagine if there were cameras around right now," Minako whispered mysteriously. "They would be capturing all of this on tape. Minako and Yaten, caught in the act! Young idols in love, news at eleven."  
  
"On our next edition of 'Celebrities in the Wild', we see two young pop stars emerging from their natural habitat. We'll uncover what goes on beneath all that foliage," Yaten added.  
  
"Better hope it's not mating season," Minako giggled.  
  
"It's not? Oh, well in that case, I'm out of here."  
  
"No, don't!" Minako laughed, grasping Yaten's arm firmly as he turned to walk away. He glanced over his shoulder and gave her a raised eyebrow.  
  
"Give me a good reason to stay," he said loftily.   
  
"Because…because I'm so pretty!"  
  
"That's not good enough."  
  
"It's not?" Minako narrowed her eyes. "How about because I'm the only person willing to tolerate your attitude for any length of time, and because you'd die alone and bitter without me."  
  
Yaten stroked his chin with his hand, looking thoughtful. "Hm, I'll think about it. Leave a memo, I'll have your people talk to my people and we should reach a decision by the end of the week."  
  
"Oh fine!" Minako said, releasing his arm. She tossed her hair back and looked down her nose at him. "I, the beautiful Aino Minako, can always find other young men who will appreciate a talented and popular star like me!"  
  
"True, but can those other men do this?" Yaten grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her against him. With one deft movement, he removed her sunglasses from her nose and tossed them aside. He shoved his own sunglasses up on his head and Minako felt herself melt under his piercing olive gaze. Before she had time to react, Yaten had lowered his mouth to hers and pressed his lips against her own in a heated kiss.  
  
Minako wrapped her arms around his neck and allowed Yaten to push her gently against one of the maze's walls. She felt the leafy brush prickle against her arms as she sank back into the greenery, Yaten's body covering hers as he slowly wrapped his arms around her small waist. The sun continued to warm them, flushing their skin with heat as they kissed each other slowly, savoring the feeling.   
  
The sound of giggling caused Yaten's head to snap up abruptly. Still clinging to Minako's waist, he craned his neck around to catch sight of whoever was approaching.  
  
A split-second later, Rei, Makoto, and Hotaru walked around the nearest hedge, laughing and talking. Hotaru was eating an ice cream, but her eyes grew round and wide as she caught sight of Yaten and Minako embracing against another piece of foliage. She choked momentarily, attracting Rei and Makoto's attention.  
  
"Huh?" Rei asked, turning around. Her eyes practically bulged out of her head when she saw Yaten in the act of pinning Minako against the hedge wall.   
  
"Uh, did we interrupt something?" Makoto asked.  
  
Yaten pulled away immediately from Minako and fluffed his hair agitatedly. "We were just talking," he huffed.  
  
"He wanted to make sure I could REALLY hear him," Minako added.   
  
Makoto coughed a laugh into her hand, and the corner of Rei's mouth was twitching. "Sounds like a pretty intense chat!" she smirked.  
  
Yaten glared at Minako, who smiled innocently at him. He straightened his shirt and pulled his sunglasses down on his face. "Anyway, what are YOU doing here?" he asked sharply.  
  
"We just got done going through the zoo. Hotaru-chan wanted to see the peacocks," Rei said.  
  
"There was a big male peacock trying to woo a female peacock," Makoto added.  
  
"You should have seen the way he pranced around and showed off. Fluffing his feathers, trying to look all manly and important."  
  
"When he realized we were watching him, he kind of got annoyed and tried to act like nothing was happening," Hotaru said.  
  
"Yeah…men are funny like that," Rei giggled.  
  
Yaten glowered at them. "I get it, already!"  
  
Minako giggled and looped her arm in his. "It's okay, Yaten-kun. They're harmless, really," she said, winking at her friends. "Where are you girls going next?"  
  
"Well, we thought we might check out some of the rides," Makoto said. "We passed by the bumper cars earlier, and that looked like fun."  
  
"Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama were riding them. Haruka-papa kept driving into Michiru-mama's car, and she was getting REALLY mad," Hotaru giggled.  
  
"Hope your papa doesn't have to spend tonight on the couch," Minako said.  
  
"Oh, she wouldn't punish her with that," Hotaru said. "Michiru-mama would just make her go share the extra room with Seiya-kun."  
  
"Speaking of Seiya," Yaten said, "I haven't seen him since we got here. Has he finally convinced Usagi-chan to run away with him, or is he off crying somewhere?"  
  
Minako punched him in the arm. "You're so cold!" she said, but she was laughing in spite of herself. "You don't know what it's like to experience the pain of unrequited love!"  
  
"That's because the girls I like always like me back," Yaten said, grinning. Minako flushed.  
  
"We can always ride the bumper cars by ourselves," Rei said, catching the look. "Don't let us interrupt this touchingly romantic moment."  
  
"No, we'll go. We'd be happy to," Minako said. "Hey, where are Ami-chan and Taiki-san?"   
  
Makoto and Hotaru started giggling and Rei smirked. "They're over by the pond, talking about BOOKS. It figures, doesn't it? A beautiful day at the amusement park, and those two are just sitting there talking about BOOKS."  
  
"They're probably the only two people in the galaxy who would do that," Yaten scoffed.  
  
"So it's lucky they happened to meet each other at all," Minako said.   
  
"Why don't we walk by the pond on the way over to the bumper cars?" Makoto said. "It's on the way, and that way we can invite Ami-chan and Taiki-san to go with us, so they'll actually have a chance to remember what adolescence is supposed to be like."  
  
"Good plan," Rei said. "They could stand to do something FUN for a change."  
  
The small group of friends began their trek of winding their way out of the maze, with Minako and Yaten bringing up the rear. Minako smiled and clung tighter to Yaten's arm.  
  
"Hey, not so tight! You'll cut off my circulation," Yaten complained.  
  
"You shouldn't mind having such a pretty girl wanting to be so close to you."  
  
Yaten rolled his eyes, but he slid his arm down to meet Minako's hand and laced his fingers with hers. "Whatever you say, pretty girl."  
  
===  
  
"I'm the king of the world!"  
  
Usagi lunged forward in alarm, grabbing Seiya by the ankle and trying to pull him down. "Seiya, stop it!" she screamed, tugging on his pant leg. "You're going to tip the boat over!"  
  
Seiya looked over his shoulder, down at a very flustered Odango clinging to his leg with one hand and the side of the tiny rowboat with the other. He wiggled slightly, causing the boat to rock sharply. Usagi gasped and released her death grip on his ankle, clutching the sides of the boat with both her hands.  
  
"Odango, stand up!" he laughed, stretching his arms out wide. The boat rocked dangerously. "You can feel the ocean breeze on your face!"  
  
"This isn't an ocean, it's a pond. And if you don't SIT DOWN right now, I'm going to push you out of the boat!"  
  
Seiya stopped waving his arms. "Really?"  
  
"Better you than me!"  
  
He grinned at her, before collapsing abruptly into a seated position. The boat took a final swaying lunge before settling, little ripples of water spreading out from the impact. Usagi was still clinging to the sides, her face slightly green.  
  
"Now isn't this idyllic?" Seiya teased. "A beautiful day on the pond with my best girl."  
  
"I'm not your girlfriend!" Usagi spluttered.  
  
"What? So cold!" Seiya said dramatically, clutching a hand to his chest. "Odango, I'm afraid I simply can't go on without you!"  
  
He jumped to his feet again and perched himself on the edge of the rowboat, leaning out as though he were preparing to jump. Usagi squealed and once more grabbed his leg. "No, Seiya, don't!"  
  
"Goodbye, cruel world. Goodbye to the beautiful woman I can never have!" Seiya said, putting his hand to his forehead in a pained gesture. "This is the end!"  
  
"Seiya!" Usagi yelled, laughing at the same time. "Get your butt back in this boat!"  
  
"Oh, so you only love me for my butt. I see how it is. Goodbye, cruel, heartless world!"  
  
"SEIYA!"  
  
With a mighty heave, Usagi yanked on Seiya's leg. He hadn't expected that, and with great surprise he found himself toppling backward as the boat rocked dangerously once more. He fell, landing on something rather soft and yielding.  
  
"Mmph. Seiyamph!"   
  
Seiya rolled off to one side, and Usagi rolled out from under him in the opposite direction, groaning. Immediately, Seiya was crouched on his knees, pulling her into a sitting position.  
  
"Are you all right? Did I hurt you? Are you okay? Is anything broken??"  
  
Usagi gave him a lukewarm smile and rubbed her shoulder gingerly. "You're not THAT big of a guy, Seiya."  
  
"I'm still a lot bigger than you, Odango," Seiya said, his face concerned. "Are you sure you're all right."  
  
"I'm all right," she said, grimacing as she felt her shoulder. "I just think I whacked my shoulder a little hard on the way down."  
  
"Turn around," Seiya said, sitting down behind her. He placed his hands gently on her hurt shoulder and began to rub, very tenderly.   
  
Usagi felt herself relax almost immediately and she leaned backward so that she was sitting between Seiya's legs. Seiya gulped and willed himself to think about anything other than the fact that she was so near him, and that he was technically caressing her, and that he could occasionally feel her wonderfully soft hair brush against his knuckles.  
  
"Odango, how have you been?" he asked, desperate to keep his mind off the fact that he was touching her.  
  
"How've I been?"  
  
"You know…just this past year, and everything. Since the last time I saw you."  
  
"Well, I ended up passing my classes last year," Usagi giggled. "Minako-chan, too. You should be proud to know such a pair of geniuses. We're all in second year of high school now, and the work is even harder and more boring than before. But at least it's much easier to stay focused in class, since you're not there to kick the back of my chair."  
  
"Hey, I never kicked the back of your chair!"  
  
"Well, since you're not there to whisper at me and poke at my hair," Usagi insisted.  
  
Seiya bit his lip. Hadn't she even missed him? He slowly ran his fingers across her delicate shoulders, gently massaging her knotted muscles, allowing his index fingers to brush over the back of her soft neck.  
  
Usagi shivered, and a warm feeling swept over her. She tilted her head up, craning backwards to see his upside-down face.  
  
"Of course, class isn't as fun anymore, now that you've gone," she said, smiling.   
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Sure. No one's there to be a popular, arrogant teen idol that all the girls are crazy about. It's much less exciting."  
  
Seiya snorted. "So that's what you think of me?"  
  
"No," Usagi said, bringing her head down again. She gazed off across the pond, watching the sun dance against the water. "No, you're actually really caring, and really kind. And you're one of my dearest friends."  
  
He hated that word. Seiya gave an almost inaudible sigh and allowed his hands to move down from her shoulders and rove lower on her back. Usagi leaned forward.  
  
"How is…Mamoru?" Seiya asked, and almost immediately cursed himself for it. The last thing he wanted to hear about was Odango's darling Mamo-chan, but at the same time he couldn't stand NOT knowing.   
  
Usagi was silent for several moments.   
  
"Odango? Still with me, or should I stop the massage before you fall asleep right here in the boat and I have to carry you home?"  
  
"No, I heard you," she said softly. She stiffened slightly. "Mamo-chan is fine. I guess you know he's gone overseas again for more studying."  
  
"I heard. I guess that's pretty hard for you, since he left and it's so close to your birthday."  
  
"We celebrated it the other night, at dinner," Usagi said. She brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them. "Seiya?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Have you ever…loved someone because you thought you were supposed to, but then you realized that maybe you don't have to after all?  
  
Seiya gently rubbed her lower back, moving his hands in small circles. "I guess I don't know what you're asking," he said vaguely.  
  
"When I met Mamo-chan, I thought he was a real jerk," Usagi gave a small laugh. "He was always picking on me, and making fun of my grades, and my hair. He used to call me odango-head."  
  
"He did? Well, I guess I'm not so original after all," Seiya said lightly. Inside, he felt more than a little jealous. Did Mamoru have to beat him at everything?  
  
Usagi laughed. "No, and Haruka called me Odango before you, too. I think you're all secretly just jealous of my beautiful hair."  
  
"Oh yes, Sailor Star Fighter would strike fear in the hearts of millions, with her raven locks trussed up in pigtails," Seiya said sarcastically.  
  
Usagi giggled. "Let me finish what I was telling you. Anyway, I thought Mamo-chan was such an annoying guy. But then…" she paused, fiddling with one of her shoelaces. "Then I got the ginzuishou. You know, it's the powerful moon crystal, and it's also my star seed. And all these memories just came flooding back to me."  
  
Moving his hands back up to her shoulders, Seiya listened to her intently. He knew what the ginzuishou was, of course, but apart from knowing what it looked like he really had no idea what it meant for Usagi.  
  
"After that, I knew Mamo-chan was actually Prince Endymion, the prince of earth," Usagi explained. "And in our past lives, in the Silver Millennium, we had fallen in love. It was kind of an ill-fated love, since the princess of the Moon wasn't supposed to love a man from earth. Actually, no one thought it could work. But it did, and we were very much in love. I died…I died because I couldn't bear to live without him."  
  
Usagi sighed and stretched out her legs, leaning back against Seiya. "My memories came back to me over a period of time, stronger and stronger. And because of who I was, because I had been Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom, I felt I should love Endymion. Mamo-chan. And I did love him, I really did."  
  
"But?" Seiya asked.  
  
"But lately…things have been so different. Mamo-chan does love me, I know that. And I love him. But he…he doesn't always make time for me. I guess he thinks since we know how the future will be, that we will be married and have a child together, he doesn't have to worry about what will happen in the meantime. We know how the story ends, so what difference does the middle make?"  
  
"But it does make a difference!" Seiya said fiercely. "The ending isn't nearly as important as the journey, Odango. The ending is just the capstone; the journey is what makes a great life. That's where you learn, and grow, and have adventures, and feel passion and excitement. The journey is the fun part!"  
  
"Seiya, you're hurting me!"  
  
"But it's the truth!"  
  
"No, I mean…you're squeezing my shoulder too hard!"  
  
Seiya glanced down and saw his hands were clenched to her tiny shoulders. He released his grip immediately. "Ah, sorry, Odango!" he said, rubbing the sore spot lightly.  
  
"It's all right. Your massage made me feel a lot better. I guess you've made it up to me for falling on me like that," she said, tilting her head around to give him a wink.  
  
"Hey," Seiya said, indignant. "If you hadn't pulled on my leg so hard, none of this would have happened!"  
  
"Well maybe you should just sit in a boat like a normal person, instead of always trying to be Mr. Cool!" snapped Usagi.  
  
Seiya smirked. "But I AM cool, Odango."  
  
"Yeah, yeah. You're SO cool. And we're getting close to shore."  
  
Seiya shielded his eyes with his hand and looked out at the approaching shoreline. "Oh, no," he muttered.  
  
"What?"  
  
He pointed. "Look, my fans have arrived."  
  
Usagi squinted at the pond's edge. A small group of girls had gathered and were looking eagerly out at all the boats, searching for their missing idol, Seiya Kou.  
  
"Guess you'll have to play my girlfriend again," Seiya gloated. "It's the only way they'll stay away from me."  
  
"No, I've got a better idea," Usagi said, digging through her purse.  
  
"What? What could be a better idea than dating me?" Seiya asked, rather pointedly.  
  
"Here!" Usagi said proudly, holding up a small pen.  
  
Seiya eyed it suspiciously. "What is it?"  
  
"It's the Luna Pen. It will transform you into anything, all you have do is shout 'Moon Power' and what you want to be disguised as!"  
  
"Cute toy," Seiya said, turning it over in his hands. An evil grin spread on his face.   
  
"Seiya, hurry! We're almost there!"  
  
"Moon Power! Turn me into a beautiful, fashionable girl!"  
  
"WHAT?"  
  
In a quick flash of light, Seiya had transformed into what looked very much like Sailor Star Fighter wearing designer shorts and a tight top.  
  
Usagi sweatdropped. "S-seiya?"  
  
"Admit it, I have gorgeous legs," Seiya said, eyeing her own calves with delight.  
  
"Seiya…"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Nothing," Usagi said, rubbing her neck. "I just didn't think you would turn yourself into a GIRL."  
  
"But I AM a girl, originally. Of course, I normally wouldn't wear anything like THIS. When I said 'fashionable', I didn't mean slutty," Seiya griped, tugging her shirt away from her chest.   
  
"You look different. You know, without all the vinyl."  
  
Seiya grinned. "You just wish your boobs were as big as mine."  
  
"Ugh, Seiya!" Usagi said, hitting her in the arm. Seiya cracked up laughing as Usagi rolled her eyes. "We're almost to shore, moron. We've got to get out of the boat."  
  
They arrived at the dock, and Seiya hopped out to tie up the boat before giving Usagi a hand. "Now act casual," Seiya whispered in her ear as she tugged the smaller girl up onto the dock. "I'm NOT Seiya Kou. I'm just a pretty woman who happens to resemble him. A lot."  
  
Usagi giggled, and the two walked stealthily down the dock. A couple of stray fans approached them in a hurry.  
  
"Seiya-kun!" one girl was yelling, before she stopped short after getting a good look at the dark-haired woman on the dock. "Y-you're not Seiya-kun!" she said.  
  
"Seiya? You mean the talented and handsome Seiya Kou? Oh, I get that ALL the time," Seiya said airily, fluffing her bangs. "Come on, Odango, let's go get ice cream!"  
  
"Ice cream?" Usagi perked up, following at Seiya's heels.  
  
"But I swear, she looks EXACTLY like Seiya Kou!" a fan whined, staring at Seiya's feminine face.   
  
"Can we have YOUR autograph?"  
  
"Uh-oh. Run for it, Odango!" Seiya shouted, sprinting off down the dock and onto the grass.  
  
Usagi ran after him, panting. "We'll never make it!" she giggled.  
  
"The life of an idol is short and dangerous!" Seiya yelled. "Hurry!"  
  
Usagi leapt forward and grabbed Seiya's hand. The taller woman looked down at her with surprise and clutched Usagi's hand tightly, grinning broadly. They dodged across the grass, heading back to the more crowded areas of the park, and ran by a familiar-looking pair seated by the lake's edge…  
  
Taiki's eyes went wide with shock. "Seiya?" he called. Beside him, Ami was looking over the top of a poetry collection, her mouth gaping.  
  
Seiya whirled around, her long ponytail flying out behind her. "Emergency! Fans on the loose!" she shouted before dragging Usagi off with her.   
  
Taiki snorted, shaking his head. "Honestly, the way Seiya acts, you KNOW he's just doing it to get even more attention. Erm, she."  
  
"Were they holding hands?" Ami asked, her blue eyes wide.  
  
Taiki sweatdropped. "I'm sure it was just a precaution!"  
  
Inside the main area of the park, Seiya and Usagi slowed to a walk, Usagi panting heavily. Seiya tossed her hair and grinned. "You need to work out more!"  
  
"Trust me, I'm getting all the exercise I need hanging around YOU!" Usagi gasped, plopping herself down on the ground.  
  
"I guess I can de-transform from this now," Seiya said. "Although I'm kind of going to miss this shirt."  
  
She closed her eyes and reversed the transformation, leaving a boyish Seiya once more in place. He grinned, his deep blue eyes glinting.   
  
"You can't say you don't have an interesting time with me!" said Seiya, sitting on the ground next to Usagi.  
  
She smiled, still breathing heavily. "Never a dull moment with you, Seiya Kou. And you promised me ice cream."  
  
"That's right. You sure are an expensive date."  
  
"Seiya! We're not on a date!" Usagi said, giving him a shove.  
  
"What? You sat on my lap in the car ride over here. You rode all the rides with me, not with anyone else. You went on a romantic boat ride with me, and since I'm such a great guy I gave you a massage while you had an intimate conversation. And now I'm buying you ice cream. Do they not call that a date on your planet?"  
  
Usagi opened her mouth to say something, but Seiya cut her off. "Back on Kinmoku, if I did all that for a girl, she'd be falling all over me! Oh Seiya, you're the best date I've ever had! And so romantic and attractive!"  
  
"And so full of yourself!" Usagi said.  
  
"And so full of…love!" Seiya shot back.  
  
"Well, since this is such a special date for you," Usagi started, giving him a sly look, "I suppose I'd better make it worth your while. I mean, you've gone to all this trouble."  
  
She brushed a loose strand of Seiya's hair behind his ear and planted a tender kiss on his cheek.  
  
Seiya's jaw dropped open slightly, and he blinked a few times before clamping it shut. He was unable to keep his face blank when she pulled away from him, and Usagi was met with a mixed expression of shock and gleeful joy on his boyish face.   
  
He pulled himself together, and gave her a cocky smirk. "Not bad, for a start."  
  
"Like you said…the journey is the interesting part, right?" Usagi said softly. She bit her lip hesitantly and met his eyes.   
  
Seiya smiled at her.  
  
"So, what happens next?" 


	8. Unlimited Time Offer

SEVENTEEN 

(c) rikki-chan (lady bundtcake) 2005

CHAPTER EIGHT - UNLIMITED-TIME OFFER

Author's Note: So it's been a long, long time since I last updated this story. I would like to say I do plan on finishing this at some point. I really do. I just occasionally get busy with "real life" and then I forget to do things like write fluffy Seiya/Usagi fanfiction.

Anyway, here's Chapter 8. Enjoy! Behold the power of Seiya/Usagi fluff!

* * *

Seiya couldn't sleep.

Admittedly, this wasn't unusual. Seiya had always been a light sleeper, prone to wandering around in the middle of the night trying to find something to do while his friends slept. Back on Kinmoku, Maker and Healer used to get very frustrated when Fighter would wake them up in the wee hours of the morning, asking if they wanted to play a round of some game or join her in a stroll along the castle grounds. When that failed, Fighter usually found herself walking aimlessly through the castle until finally knocking softly on the doors to Kakyuu's bedroom. Kakyuu would come to the door, her long red hair tousled down her shoulders, her amber eyes blinking tiredly. Then she would allow Fighter to come in and wrap her arms around her and carry her back to the bed. Kakyuu would soon fall asleep, nestled against Fighter's chest, while Fighter leaned back against the headboard, softly stroking her princess' hair and still too restless to sleep.

Seiya wondered now what it would be like to slip quietly out of Haruka's house, catch a cross-town bus to Usagi's district, sneak up her stairs and knock softly at her door. He wondered if Usagi would come to the door, sleepy eyed and messy-haired, and allow him to come in and pick her up and …

Idiot, Seiya chastised himself. This isn't Kinmoku. She isn't your princess.

Seiya felt his cheeks grow warm as he threw aside his blankets and crawled out of the bed. He approached the window and gripped the sill with his hands as he pressed his forehead against the cool glass. For the most part, he admitted, the midnight trysts with his own princess had been fairly innocent. Although Maker and Healer often teased about it, Fighter and Kakyuu usually just fell asleep in the same bed. Seiya bit his lip. What he dreamed about doing with the Moon Princess went beyond just sleeping beside one another.

Seiya left the window and grabbed a pair of pants that were hanging off the end of his bed. He tugged them on, his long black hair falling in his face as he did so. Standing back up, he pulled his hair back over his shoulders and bound it in its usual ponytail. Sighing, he softly opened his door and stepped into the hall.

As he passed the room that Taiki and Yaten were sharing, Seiya thought he could hear snoring. He grinned in spite of himself. He'd be sure to remind Yaten of it in the morning.

Seiya padded into the kitchen and flipped on the light. He was pretty sure Haruka wouldn't mind if he raided their fridge. Come to think of it, Michiru was probably the one who did all the shopping anyway. He opened the refrigerator and was disappointed to find nothing but an array of health food.

"What is this?" he muttered, eyeing a carton of tomato juice with distaste. He closed the refrigerator with a heavy sigh. Okay, maybe he'd just make a pot of coffee instead.

As he dug around in the cabinet looking for coffee filters, he heard someone else coming down the hallway to the kitchen. Quickly, Seiya slammed the cabinet shut and threw his hands up in the air. "I'm not doing anything, Haruka! I just wanted something to drink!" he shouted.

Setsuna came around the corner, eyes narrowed. "I thought I heard someone rustling around in here. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone," she laughed, "I promise, I'm not armed."

Seiya dropped his hands and gave her a sheepish grin. "Hey, Setsuna-san," he said. "Sorry, did I wake you up? I forgot you sleep down on the first floor with the rest of us hooligans."

"No, you didn't wake me. I usually get up around this time." Setsuna glanced at the clock on the microwave, which was blinking 4:37 AM. "Okay, maybe not quite this early, but still. Want a cup of cocoa?"

"You actually have something in this house with sugar in it?" Seiya gaped. "I swear, all I could find were carrots and granola bars."

Setsuna laughed. "Michiru likes to keep us all eating healthy food. But Haruka has to have her occasional sweets, and so do I. We hide them in this top cabinet where Michiru can't reach them." She stood on her toes and creaked open the cabinet above the refrigerator. Smiling at Seiya, she said, "I guess you can't reach it, either."

Seiya smirked. "No, but now that I know you're also an insomniac, I'll just hang out in here every morning until you show up. Have any chocolate in there?"

The dark-haired time guardian tossed Seiya a candy bar. "Go easy on us. Haruka will have your hide if you deplete her stash." She pulled out a box of cocoa mix and shut the cabinet.

Seiya leaned against the kitchen counter and tore the wrapper off his candy bar. "What time do you go to work?" he asked.

Setsuna pulled out a pot and filled it with water for boiling. "Oh, I usually try to get to the lab around five-thirty or six. And I usually stay until eight or nine in the evening."

"You work that long every day?"

The time guardian nodded. "Haruka's always saying I spend too much time at the lab, and I need to take time out to enjoy the 'finer things in life', as she puts it. Of course, in her opinion, those finer things involve fast cars and women, and neither is really my taste. Besides, I enjoy what I do. After so many years fighting as a senshi, it's nice to be able to do work of my own choosing. Get two mugs out of that cabinet, please."

Seiya obliged, setting the mugs down next to Setsuna. She poured hot water into each mug and handed Seiya a packet of cocoa. He tore it open and dumped the contents into his mug. "Don't you have any hobbies besides work?"

"Oh, sure," Setsuna said, handing Seiya a spoon. "I love to sew, for example. And you probably didn't notice, but I quilted the blanket on your bed."

"Really? I'm terrible at making things," Seiya laughed. "I once tried to make something for Odango, but it looked so bad that I was afraid she'd think I hated her and I was giving her an ugly present on purpose."

"What did you try to make?"

Seiya blushed in spite of himself. "Oh, I…hah. I was trying to paint a picture of her. I wanted her to see herself as I see her."

"Which is?"

"Utterly beautiful. Incredibly perfect. The most wonderful woman in the galaxy. Something along those lines," Seiya laughed. He took a sip of his cocoa. "Unfortunately, it looked more like I threw up on a piece of canvas, which isn't exactly the message I wanted to convey."

Setsuna smiled softly. "Well, if you paint from your heart, it shows on the canvas, no matter how it looks to your eyes. That's what Michiru is always saying."

"Easy for her to say! She's been accepted into galleries. No, I think my heart just stinks at painting," Seiya grinned. He gazed down into his mug of cocoa. "Anyway, I don't think I could ever create anything that would really show Odango how I feel. Hell, I can't even put it into words. I'm a lost cause, hah."

A silence descended between the two insomniacs. Seiya continued to stare disconsolately into his cocoa mug, while Setsuna pursed her lips together in thought. Finally, she reached out a hand and grasped one of Seiya's in her own.

"Seiya-kun," she murmured, causing him to look up into her garnet eyes. "You…"

"You know the future," Seiya cut her off. "What am I doing here? Why am I here? Am I…am I just making a fool out of myself?"

Setsuna gripped his hand harder. "I don't know the future, Seiya-kun. I guarded the gates of time, yes, but I didn't KNOW the future. I had impressions of it. I know of the thirtieth century, yes, and of Crystal Tokyo and…and Chibiusa. But I don't know everything."

"But you know enough to know that Mamoru and Odan—Usagi stay together," Seiya said bitterly.

"I know that in one thousand years, yes, they are married and they have a child," Setsuna agreed. "But as for the years leading up to that moment, it's unclear. After all, they're only human. They live each day just like the rest of us. They make their own decisions."

"But…"

"Seiya-kun, Usagi-chan is a smart girl. She's much smarter than any of us ever give her credit for, and it's not because she makes decisions with her head. It's because she follows her heart. She follows her pure heart and it's never failed to lead her down the right path," Setsuna's eyes gazed fiercely into Seiya's. "Whatever the best thing is, Usagi-chan will choose it. I promise you, she will."

The time guardian's expression softened, and she released her grip on Seiya's hand. "In the meantime, Seiya-kun, you've done nothing wrong by loving her. You shouldn't hate yourself for it. Usagi-chan is lucky to have you. You've always been willing to be there for her. You're definitely not wasting your time here, if that's what you think." Setsuna smiled. "Honestly, since you've been here, this is the happiest I've seen her in a long time. Even when Mamoru-san is around. I'm glad you're here, Seiya-kun, because you've brought the life back into our princess."

Seiya brightened at that, and felt his chest swell with gleeful pride at the fact that he finally had seemed to best Mamoru at something. He glanced at the clock on the microwave, which was now blinking 5:14 AM. "Thanks for the cocoa, Setsuna-san," he said, as he headed for the door to the hallway.

Setsuna collected the two mugs and dumped them in the sink. "You're welcome, but where are you off to in such a hurry?"

"Oh, I've got some plans for today. And I need to get some things arranged first, and then I'll probably drop by Odango's school later to see what she's up to."

"Sounds nice," Setsuna smiled. "But Seiya…"

"Yeah?" Seiya poked his head back around the corner into the kitchen.

"Put a shirt on first."

"Usagi-chan?"

Usagi blinked. She realized she had been staring intently at her desk for several minutes, and now she looked up to meet the eyes of Makoto and Minako. She glanced around and realized the classroom was empty except for the three of them.

"It's lunchtime," Makoto said. "Didn't you hear the bell?"

"You've been staring at your desk all through last period," Minako chortled. "It isn't going to turn into Seiya-kun anytime soon, you know."

"Minako-chan!" Makoto reprimanded, throwing her blonde friend a shocked look.

"What? Come on, Mako-chan," Minako said, tossing her hair over her shoulder with a look of maddening superiority. "It's plain to me that something is on Usagi-chan's mind. When was the last time she forgot about lunch? Obviously, she's thinking too much about seeing her… 'friend', heh."

"Minako!" Makoto snapped. "You're talking like Seiya and Usagi are long-time lovers or something. Just because you and Yaten-kun are having nightly snuggle-fests lately doesn't mean Usagi-chan has lost her self-control, too!"

"Hey!" Minako clasped a hand to her chest, swaying in an overdramatic fashion. "There's no call for you to belittle the love of two beautiful idols! Besides, if you had someone as good-looking as Yaten wanting to be all over you, you know you wouldn't turn him down."

Makoto smiled and shrugged. "Not my type, Minako-chan. He's rather short for me, don't you think?"

"Yes, but don't tell him that to his face. He gets really embarrassed. You know he doesn't like it when I wear high heels?"

"She's right, Mako-chan," Usagi cut in.

Makoto blinked. "I didn't realize Yaten-kun was so sensitive about his height…"

"No, I didn't mean that," Usagi shook her head. "I meant…well, she's right that I was thinking about Seiya."

Makoto's eyes widened, and Minako whirled around immediately to stare directly at Usagi. "Seriously?" the blonde senshi gasped, "I mean, I always knew there was something between the two of you, I just wasn't sure if YOU knew about it! But this is great!" Minako squealed, clasping her hands together. Her blue eyes melted into a lovesick expression. "This means that I, Aino Minako, the goddess of love and beauty, have possibly brought together two meant-to-be lovers!"

"What are you talking about?" Makoto interjected, whacking Minako on the shoulder. "Usagi-chan already HAS a lover. And furthermore, Mamoru-san is definitely a meant-to-be lover!"

"Yes…" Usagi said, tracing her fingers across the desktop.

Minako stopped arguing with Makoto and glanced at Usagi's desk. Her blue eyes snapped wide open. "Usagi-chan…" she gasped.

"What?" asked Usagi, glancing up at her friend.

"You…you…did you carve yours and Seiya's names into the desk?"

Now it was Makoto's turn to gasp, as she lunged across the desk to gaze at the little carving on the woodwork, crudely scratched with a pocketknife. Sure enough, there were two little stick figures, one with odango and the other with a long ponytail, with "Seiya + Usagi" etched beneath them. "Oh my god, Usagi-chan!" Makoto exclaimed. "Have you been hiding a secret love affair from us for a YEAR?"

Usagi blushed furiously and covered the carving with her hands. "No!" she burst out. "No, no, SEIYA did that. He did that last year, when he was in class with us! I would never…I never did that! I swear, it was Seiya!"

Her friends were exchanging looks of disbelief. Usagi cleared her throat. "Seriously, you guys," she said, her face reddening further, "Seiya did that last year. It wasn't too long before he left with the other Lights to return to Kinmoku. I remember, because we both had detention that day for showing up to class late, and we had to spend an hour after school doing homework. The teacher had to take a phone call in the main office, and Seiya started poking me in the back and teasing me, asking if I needed any of his genius help on my homework. You know, he ALWAYS used to tease me, because he sat behind me. And when I said that I bet I would get a higher score on my homework than he did, he said he bet I wouldn't, and if he got a higher score, I should go on a date with him. And I said I wouldn't ever go on a date with someone so full of himself, and that I already had Mamo-chan, and then he pulled out his pocketknife and reached for me. And that made me nervous, because I didn't know what he was doing. I thought maybe he was going to cut off my hair or something because I said I wouldn't date him, so I started screaming, 'Seiya, don't you dare cut my hair off with that knife!' And he gave me a funny look and said, 'How dare you think I'm so cruel? No, I was going to make a picture for you, you silly Odango-head.' And that's when he carved this into my desk, because he said it would remind me later, after he'd gone, that I had missed my chance to have a date with such a 'good-looking and brilliant guy', as he put it."

Usagi took a deep breath after finishing her story and smiled lamely at her two friends. She uncovered the drawing with her hands and ran her finger lightly across the Seiya stick-figure. "I thought he was being an idiot at the time. You know, he was always saying how much he wanted to date me, and I just thought he liked to tease and didn't really mean it. I mean, he's Seiya Kou. He's a famous idol. He could have any girl he wanted."

"Except you," Minako said softly, her eyes locked on the rough little etching.

"Except me. I thought for a long time after he left that he just teased me because it was a challenge for him. He's so arrogant sometimes. He likes to be the best at everything. I thought maybe I was just another goal for him," Usagi murmured. She glanced out the window. "But after he left, I found myself thinking about him more and more. I don't think I really realized what he thought of me."

"He really likes you, Usagi-chan," said Minako, patting Usagi on the shoulder. She smiled. "We all knew it all along."

Usagi grinned sheepishly. "Well, one thing's for sure. He was right about this drawing. Every time I look at it, I think about missing my chance at dating a good-looking and brilliant man!"

Minako and Usagi burst out laughing, but Makoto looked slightly worried. The tall senshi tugged on the end of her chestnut ponytail and focused her emerald eyes on Usagi.

Usagi caught the look. She stood up and hugged Makoto, smiling. "Don't worry, Mako-chan," she said cheerfully. "I promise I won't run away to Kinmoku or anything."

"I didn't say that…" the brown-haired girl said.

"I know. I just meant that…well, I promise not to rush into anything. But at the same time, it would be nice to make some of my own decisions for a change," Usagi said, her eyes slightly misty. "I haven't really done anything for myself in such a long time."

"And Seiya-kun is a nice thing to do!" Minako quipped, her eyes sparkling mischievously.

"Oy, Minako-chan!" Usagi said, pulling away from Makoto and giving her blonde friend a swat on the arm. "I just said I'm not rushing into anything!"

"I found some beautiful china place settings in a department store last week. Do you have a preference for the kinds of curtains you want?" Minako said, smirking.

Usagi rolled her eyes, and Makoto finally laughed. The tall girl checked her watch and gasped. "It's already 15 minutes after the bell, you guys!" she exclaimed. "If we don't hurry to the cafeteria now, we're never going to get anything to eat!"

"Oh!" Usagi muttered, snatching up her bag. "Come on!" she cried, "Let's hurry! I'm starving!"

The three girls darted out the classroom door and into the hallway. They were halfway to the cafeteria when Usagi suddenly checked her bag for her wallet. "Oh no," she muttered, digging through her bag.

"What's wrong?" Minako asked.

"I can't believe it…I don't have my wallet," Usagi moaned. She slapped a hand to her forehead. "I guess I'll have to go back to the classroom and get it."

"We'll save you a seat, of course," Makoto said.

"We might not save you any food, though," Minako added. "Well, maybe you can have the crusts off my sandwiches."

"Har, har," Usagi glowered. "I'll catch up in a second."

She turned around and ran back down the hallway, her footsteps padding softly on the tile floor. She couldn't believe she forgot her wallet. Now she was going to be even later in getting lunch, and she would only have a few minutes to wolf it down. Usagi hated to eat fast. She felt food was something that should be savored, and savored often.

Rounding the corner, Usagi flipped her long ponytails over her shoulder and brushed her bangs out of her face. She hurriedly opened the door into her empty classroom and darted over to her seat, looking under the desk.

"It has to be here somewhere," she muttered to herself. She dropped to her knees and crawled beneath her desk, searching the floor.

"Is this what they do for detention now? Make you stay in at lunch? Honestly, Odango, I'm surprised you're surviving it!"

Usagi jumped at the sudden voice and whacked her head on the underside of her desk. "OW!" she moaned, rubbing the back of her head with her hand. She crawled out backwards from beneath the desk and sat back on her heels, gazing up at the open classroom door. Impeccably dressed in a neatly pressed charcoal-colored suit, complete with a fashionable red tie, Seiya was leaning languidly in the doorway, his slim frame looking relaxed and, as usual, completely full of himself.

Usagi grinned in spite of herself, and then attempted to correct her expression to look more annoyed. "What are you doing here? Idol business, or do you just enjoy scaring beautiful schoolgirls?"

"I enjoy doing lots of things with schoolgirls, especially the beautiful ones," Seiya smirked, ambling into the room. His hands were casually shoved into his pants pockets, and Usagi couldn't help but smile at his typical swagger.

She made a face, sticking her tongue out at him. "You're a real pervert Seiya, you know that?"

"Who said anything about doing anything perverted? I'm not always picky about what I do with said beautiful schoolgirls," Seiya said. He sat down in the desk in front of hers and swiveled around to look Usagi in the eyes. "So what are you doing in here, Odango? Isn't it lunchtime? I went by the cafeteria to see if you were there, and Ami-chan she hadn't seen you, so I thought I'd drop by here."

"I forgot my wallet. But I AM going to lunch, because I'm starving!" Usagi whined, gripping at her stomach.

"Well, I'm glad I caught you before you made it to the cafeteria, because I was going to ask if you wouldn't rather go do something with me," Seiya said.

"Do something?" Usagi gave Seiya a quizzical look. "What, right now? You may not have noticed this, but I'm sort of at school right now." She giggled and poked Seiya in the ribs.

"Oh, come on. It's not like you were ever a star student anyway."

"Hey!"

"Please, Odango," begged Seiya, clasping his hands in front of himself and giving her puppy eyes. "It will be fun."

"Well, it's a day with you. How could it not be fun?" Usagi blushed as she realized what had just slipped out of her mouth.

One of Seiya's eyebrows shot straight up into his blue-black hair as his eyes gleamed at her. Usagi giggled and stood up, patting Seiya lightly on the head. "I'd better not give you any more compliments, Seiya-chan," she sang at him. "Your head might swell up too big and then we'd never be able to get you out of this room."

Seiya jumped to his feet and grabbed Usagi by both her hands, pulling her directly to him. He suppressed the urge to laugh at her surprised expression and instead clasped her hands firmly, running his thumbs over her small wrists. "Odango," he whispered, his eyes glinting with mischievous delight, "Let's get out of here."

Usagi balked. One corner of her mouth twisted into an unsure grin as she lightly shook her head. "I don't underst—weren't we just talking about leaving? What are you saying?"

"No, I really mean it. Let's get out of here," Seiya said, his voice rising with excitement. "Let's just run off and go someplace for a while, maybe a couple of days. No one has to know. It could be an adventure."

"What?" Usagi exclaimed, her jaw dropping. "But—Seiya! People will worry about us! And it wouldn't look…well, DECENT! People would wonder, they'd start talking…"

Seiya cut her off. "Who cares? Our friends don't have to know every single detail of our lives. We should be entitled to just go off and do something crazy occasionally. Besides," he said, smirking happily at her, "Weren't you saying just the other day how your life is too boring? How you need a little excitement in your fairy tale life?"

"Seiya…" Usagi's face went suddenly pink and she felt tears beginning to well up in her eyes. This was too hard, she thought. She had been dying for something exciting and different to happen to her for so long, and now that it was available and being offered by her wonderful and handsome friend, she didn't know what to do. I could do it, she thought fleetingly, I could just run away with him. I wouldn't have to leave a note. No one would have to know why. It would be what I've always wanted; I would finally get to do something for myself for once. Just for me. Because I wanted to. Because I…

You WHAT? Her thoughts were swirling. Because you feel WHAT? You CAN'T feel that way, you just can't; it's not right, is it? It isn't meant to be that way…

Well, she argued back at herself. Why can't it be the way I WANT it to be?

Yes!

…no. Not now.

She tried to pull away from him, but Seiya's grip tightened ever so slightly. He then thought better of it, released her hands from his, and pulled her into a light hug. He gently rested his jaw on the top of her golden head.

"I'm just trying to make you happy, Odango," he whispered into her hair. He kissed her lingeringly on the forehead and then abruptly pulled away from her. Sliding his hands into his pockets, he leaned back against her desk and smiled. "But I understand. Maybe it would be too weird," he said with a small shrug.

"I…" Usagi murmured. She swallowed hard and gazed up at him. She noticed it was becoming increasingly difficult to just LOOK at Seiya. It was never this way before, she thought, almost chiding herself. I used to be able to look into those eyes without feeling…this.

"I better let you get to lunch," Seiya said, checking his watch. "It's ten till one. You'd better hurry, if you want to get anything to eat before class starts again. I'll see you tonight, when you guys come to Haruka's for dinner."

He flashed her one more small smile, and then turned to walk up the aisle and out of the room. Usagi's breath caught in her throat. She wanted to cry out and tell him to stop, or maybe yell at him for making her feel this way. She wanted to at least say goodbye. She wanted to do SOMETHING. Her legs felt like iron and her throat was too dry to speak. It seemed like it was taking an eternity for Seiya to turn around and begin to walk, and yet she knew that if she didn't act quickly, he'd be gone and she wouldn't see him again until that night, when everyone was gathered in Michiru's dining room, and everyone would be talking and laughing and there wouldn't be a chance for her to be with Seiya alone…

She didn't know how she managed to move fast enough, but her hand shot out and gripped Seiya by the sleeve. The dark-haired youth turned around to look at her, his sapphire eyes clouded and confused.

"Don't," she said hoarsely. She swallowed and cleared her throat. "Don't…don't leave, Seiya."

She found her voice, and was even able to give him a shy grin, which rapidly widened into a full, beautiful smile, and she saw Seiya relax when she gave him that smile. He lifted his hand to capture the one on his sleeve, and Usagi wiggled her fingers until she had locked them with his. "I want to go with you," she whispered. "Please."

"You don't have to say please," Seiya murmured, squeezing her hand lightly. "The offer still stands."

Usagi giggled. "So it wasn't a limited-time deal or anything, then?"

"Well, semi-limited. Subject to availability. You know how it is."

"Well, I'm glad I'm such a worthy customer, then. I seem to be getting top service."

Seiya reached out and brushed a stray lock of Usagi's golden hair behind her ears. "For you, Odango, I'm always available. You never have to worry about good service with me."

"Good, because I hate writing complaint letters. My kanji isn't very good, you know."

"I know," Seiya grinned. "Now, let's get out of this school before they make you learn any more."


End file.
